The Ways of the Rich and Privileged
by edwardsfavoritebrunette
Summary: Isabella Swan doesn't know what she's getting herself into when she declares war against Edward Cullen-heir to world-famous hotel company, Cullen Hotels Inc. What starts out as standing up for her friend quickly becomes continued in Preface
1. Preface

**SUMMARY:**

Isabella Swan doesn't know what she's getting herself into when she declares war against Edward Cullen-heir to world-famous chain hotel owning company, Cullen Hotels Inc. What starts out as standing up for her friend quickly becomes the undoing of the prestigious day and boarding school, Mount Marcus Academy and possibly even life as she knows it. AU-AH. Based on the Japanese Drama series, Boys Over Flowers.

**Please read chapter end notes for... clarification.**

**This story is rated ****M ****for possible sexual content **

**(no lemons planned), vulgar language, and some angst. **

*********

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything but sore and droopy eyes. Stephenie Meyer owns everything else, probably including a good night's sleep.**

I was immobilized in front of a tsunami wave, helpless to defend myself against the verbal waves crashing on me mercilessly.

_Slut._

All I could do was feel myself slipping under, under the turbulent water surrounding me, pulling me in a thousand directions at once.

_Whore._

But I didn't see the storm coming. No, I didn't have that kind of foresight. No clouds, no weather forecaster to let me know ahead of time that I shouldn't have gone to school that day. I didn't have to drown.

_Harlot._

There was no way I could've known. Even now, I didn't fully understand how my life could've changed so abruptly.

_Wench._

Even in the black waters I could make out his face- a face I hated but loved at the same time. The water distorted the image. His eyes were black, his hair was equally as dark. He turned around- why wasn't the water taking him down too? And slowly made his way out of the wave, unscathed. Physically.

_Bitch._

The only thing clear in that moment, other than the tears racing down my cheeks and tickling my nostrils, was the thundering sound of his nine hundred dollar Prada patent leather shoes stepping on the pallid marble flooring; I was sure it was one of his mother's innumerable bribes to the school.

_Prostitute._

As I sunk deeper into the black hole, I suddenly became aware of the way my physical body was thrashing about, fighting off the leeches clinging to me. While my body instinctively tried to make its way toward an escape, my mind kept repeating _Who? Who? Who? _

I saw an opening finally and burst through the surface of the water. I broke out in a sprint down the hallway, my vintage flats _tap tap tap_ ing until I shoved the door open and faced the open air, green and brown mountains going over the horizon of my vision. My feet, perspiring and squeaking against the vinyl flats, carried me to the railing.

_Screw-up._

I leaned my torso over the edge and breathed in and out gasps of air. My heart squeezed and my stomach responded, threatening to spill its contents out of my mouth.

Was it really only two weeks ago that I'd been a nobody- nobody's friend, nobody's enemy, nobody's concern? Impossible.

Because Who would care enough to frame me as a

_Screw-up_

_Prostitute_

_Bitch_

_Wench_

_Harlot_

_Whore_

_Slut_

_..Who?_

*****

**Chapter End Notes:**

**Ok, so I'm very bad at following through with ideas, and I just wanted to catch this one and go with it before it disappeared. So this was very spontaneous and in the moment. I already have a plot figured out, but what I really need is confirmation- should I go with it? Please review- they motivate me to get out of bed every morning.**


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to Mt Marcus Prep

**Okay, so I'm totally updating this on a whim- let's see if I can get this chapter down in an hour! Sorry for the long wait, but you have to know by now that I update randomly and whenever my mood and schedule permits. And right now, I have a lot going on. But I'm sure you don't want to read about that. Also, I'm not quite done with the outline either. *Cowers* So on with chapter one! **

**The reviews were great- thank you so much for your support!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any pop references (Harry Potter), Hana Yori Dango, and least of all Twilight. Nada.**

**Chapter One: Welcome to Mount Marcus Prepatory School**

Another day, another victim.

The students who attend the "esteemed" Mount Marcus Prepatory School stepped straight out of kindergarten and were thrown into high school by their millionaire "As-long-as-our-chlid-gets-into-college-we-don't-give-a-fuck" parents. The rules here are simple: fit in or drop out of school. They preyed upon the weak like death eaters- merciless and feared by all.

Thank God I'm too good for this shit.

My goal's simple- get through "high school" and apply for as many scholarships as possible and be the first in my family to get out of Washington and explore my options abroad. Abroad being the continental United States, of course.

Connor was relatively unknown, even though there were only a hundred per grade, give or take a few. He was someone like me- a scholarship kid from a family who makes an honest living, which is more than I could say for the rest of the kids here. He even worked at the dining hall, which, unfortunately brought him to his current position.

He cowered behind one of the plush chairs surrounding _the _table, his olive-toned pallor tinted with blue. The boy-man towering over him had an expression that could have been made into one of those posters that encouraged children at a dentist's office to brush their teeth- _or else this monster will come after you! _Honestly, it was tiring having to watch him overreact to any small mishap. For four years. He just never changed. Didn't his nanny ever teach him the virtue of patience? The monster roared at the boy.

"HOW many of us do YOU see standing here, you twerp?"

Connor's eyes didn't move away from the man's chest. "Three, Mr. Cullen."

"Then WHY the HELL are there TWO chairs? YOU thought we would get it ourselves, did you? Well, what's the point in hiring people like you then?" Cullen's pearly white teeth glinted in the environmentally friendly lighting in the hall. The crowd went silent, awaiting his orders. He suddenly snapped at one of his freshman minions, who immediately ran to accommodate his _highness. _A chair appeared and behind Cullen, Whitlock rolled his ice-blue eyes, rolled up the sleeves of his button-up long sleeved shirt to his elbows, and shooed the minion away, casually sitting at _the _table. He pulled a pocket-sized book out of his... well, pocket, and started reading as if the entire school population wasn't watching.

McCarty winked across the room at Rosalie Whitlock, the epitome of your high school ice princess, and put his arm around Cullen, leading him to the table and pointing to the chair, saying "look, Ed, a chair just magically appeared for your royal ass to sit on. You happy?" Cullen scowled and pointed to Connor, addressing him as an underclassman, "This happens one more time and the WMC's going to be on your poor ass." He sat on the chair and commanded another minion to order his lunch, and the entire school tore their eyes away from the VIP section of the lunch room, which was, of course, rather symbolically on its own floor, connected to the dining hall by a flight of cherry wood stairs.

I myself glanced away from the scene and focused back onto my half-finished lunch. Truthfully, I was stuffed, but Mom spent so long on preparing me a meal that "meets the upper-class expectations" that I couldn't bear to leave a morsel of uneaten food. After fitting the last few bites into my stomach, I grabbed my lunch bag and my backpack and headed out the glass doors, leaving everyone behind me, as I intend to do after senior year. I have no attachment here, it's as simple as that.

I stepped on the cobblestone patio that wrapped around the lunch hall, or more popularly known as the Commons, and made my way to the Building for the Arts.

Upstairs was entirely made of wood. The scent was comforting, which was the reason for my frequent visits to room 23, one of the practice rooms for students learning the piano. I was not among those fortunate students, but there was no harm in using the room to escape from my peers. I'd came across my haven when I blindly ran out of the chorale room during class in the second semester of freshman year. Ever since, I'd come and sometimes give my best friend a call- the only person who truly understood me and who I was proud to call my peer.

That's exactly what I did today.

Alice didn't exactly fit in at her school either, though she attended a public school with more than twice the number of students we had. She was too good for them anyway.

"Hey Bella! Who was today's victim?" She chirped over the phone, always more interested in my school's gossip than I was.

"Connor O'Donnell, freshman. He didn't put enough chairs in their table today. Poor boy didn't even stand a chance," I quickly explained.

"Pity. He was a good guy. A little plain, but I'd take him over any of the other guys at Mount Marcus. Anyhoo," Alice, of course, never took a breath in between her sentences, "wanna grab a bite to eat tonight after our shift at Carmen's? Mom told me to go out tonight because she's still going to be at work." We both worked a shift at Carmen's bakery a few blocks away from my house. She was a sweet woman, and her personality reflected the food she made- she was a pastry chef and was as close to a twin as Alice could ever get. They were both eccentric and energetic, and admitted numerous times that they lived vicariously through me. Needless to say, we became fast friends.

"Of course, Al," I replied, straddling a chair backwards and facing out the window overlooking the dining hall. The glass separated me from everyone else. The different cliques meddled by the patio, most likely fawning over the WMC- Whitlock McCarty Cullen- also known as the Womanizing Men Club. Unoriginal, but the name served its purpose here- it was a name for the highest of the Elite.

At home, Joshua, my fifteen year old brother, was sitting by the TV, diligently doing his homework while watching Gilmore Girls. Our family-consisting of me, Joshua, my mom Esme and my father Carlisle, lived in an apartment on a relatively quiet street across from a park. It was a great location, and as they say in real estate, Location, Location, Location. My parents worked hard before we were born so they could raise us in a safe neighborhood outside the big city. They themselves were from small towns in Washington that I'd never heard of otherwise.

I placed my backpack in my room and sat with Joshua and we routinely finished our homework before I had to leave for work and he walked to soccer practice. There was never a need for much conversation between us, but I'm not saying we didn't get along. Esme always took pride in the way she raised us to be good siblings- we were so similar there was nothing to fight over. However, he picked up Carlisle's sporty gene while I was stuck as the clumsy one- I inherited many of my genes from Grandma Platt, whom I'd never met.

Joshua and I parted at the door on the ground floor, barely waving goodbye and walking toward our own destinations.

Back at home, I was once again full from the dinner I'd had with Alice next door to the bakery. However, the ten minute walk home made me feel less guilty about the apple pie a la mode I'd devoured afterward. I didn't have to worry much about my figure, though; Grandma Platt had a great metabolism. I sauntered into my room and dropped my purse on my cluttered desk before getting ready for bed. After brushing my teeth and changing into a pair of sweats and my class sweatshirt, I walked toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water when I noticed that the light was still on. I peeked around the corner to find that Esme was still in the kitchen, placing a cup of creme brulee into a lunch pail before washing her hands in the sink and softly calling for Carlisle. He came into the kitchen through the entryway by the front door, pecked her on the lips, and took the lunch pail from her hands gently before heading out the door to work the night shift at the ER.

Mom's eyes followed him out the door and she sighed softly, shutting off the light and retiring to her bedroom. I smiled sadly, knowing it cost her and Dad a great deal for him to work so late at night and into the morning. I opened the fridge quietly, poured myself a half glass of cold water, and withdrew into my own room, giving in to sleep at last.

**Happy Reader Appreciation Day Everyone!**

**What's the sweetest thing your parents have done for you?**


	3. Chapter 2: Tardy with Soggy Toast

**Sorry for the delay. I don't write until I'm thoroughly inspired. Reviews=inspiration! Thanks for the subscriptions and such! Keep them coming!**

_**I'll make a deal with you guys: 10 reviews and I'll update within a week? Sound good? **_

_**Hope y'all had a great spring vacation!**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own any pop culture references or Hana Yori Dango or Twilight. I don't make a profit from my writing. If I did I'd be more... inspired than I am. **

**Chapter 2: Tardy with Soggy Toast**

I was startled from a dreamless sleep when my alarm blared some pop song at an ungodly hour. My friend "Snooze" served its purpose and I fell back into a comfortable slumber.

After realizing that I had hit the snooze button more than I ought have, I jumped out of my bed, getting tangled in my purple comforter and landing in a twisted heap on the floor. I didn't even have time curse my clumsiness as I threw on my uniform, panicking because I only had ten minutes to make it to school.

Esme had a slice of toast in hand as I darted out of my room, slipped on the kitchen tile, grabbed the toast, and mumbled something resembling "have a good day, Mom," causing bread crumbs to get stuck in my slightly wind-blown hair. She repeated the sentiment, amusement in her voice. I was _never _late.

I struggled a bit with the lock on my bike before hopping on it and pedaling furiously in my haste to make it to first period on time. I took a chance and used only one hand to steer, using the other to eat the toast that was hanging out of my mouth, soggy with my saliva.Totally gross. Tardiness was looked down upon at Mount Marcus, unless you were a WMC, of course. They were an exception to every rule that existed.

With a few seconds to spare, I eventually made it to class, winded and probably looking like a fish out of water as I gasped for air and tried to lower my heart rate. This day was certainly off to a good start.

As I walked down the halls to my second period, hoping to come across a mirror along the way to remove the crumbs from my hair, a girl who I recognized to be Irina fell into step beside me and gave me a warm smile before reaching her hand across her body and shaking my head, introducing herself.

"You're Isabella, right?" She asked, she cocked her head to the side, her hazel eyes friendly.

"Yeah.." I answered awkwardly. Not many people ever tried to associate with me, the scholarship student. They never even bothered learning that I went by _Bella. _

Irina had just transferred from Vancouver that week and had yet to learn the social hierarchy, it seemed. It would only be a matter of time until she learned the ropes around here.

"So, tell me, who are the WMC?" She leaned in conspiratorially. I sighed before introducing her to the complicated social hierarchy. I explained how Edward Cullen's family owned a chain of hotels, Cullen Hotels, Inc.; Emmett McCarty's father owned a security company that worked closely with the government; and Jasper Whitlock... well, he was a mystery, but I knew that his Dad was a senator. Jane, Victoria, and Lauren made up the fan club that pathetically fawned over Jasper, Edward, and Emmett respectively. However, none of them ever got lucky, which slightly restored my faith in our society. The WMC beat up kids for deplorable reasons because it gave them a sense of power and nothing was ever done to put them in their place because of their name. This bullying carried on from elementary school to middle school then eventually to high school, where it became just plain pathetic. They also enjoyed their own penthouse in the dormitory as well as power over how the school was run. It was amazing how I was able to fit that whole explanation into the time it took for us to walk from one class to another. Irina took it all in stride, and thanked me for introducing her to the school. She walked into her second period class, giving me a friendly wave over her shoulder. Well, I wasn't going to be seeing her anymore.

To my utter astonishment, Irina gracefully slid into the seat across from me during lunch hour in the dining hall. My face must have conveyed my bewilderment because she gave me a sheepish smile before digging into her salad. For the first time since school started, I didn't sit alone during lunch. Our conversation was light and Irina was surprisingly not the airhead blonde I had originally suspected her to be. Though she was vague about her family, she was very open about herself. The only thing I was able to gather about her family was that they were, unsurprisingly, well off, and that she had a fraternal twin sister. I couldn't imagine a girl who was as good looking as Irina- she was undoubtedly blessed with incredible genes. During our brief conversation about her family, her hazel eyes hardened infinitesimally; noticing her discomfort with the topic, I quickly changed the topic. Her eyes lightened considerably to a yellow-green color when I asked if she played any sports. Of course, she was a soccer player; her fit body suggested that she was an athlete, though she didn't have bulging muscles or anything.

After lunch, I walked with her to class then to her soccer practice when the last bell rang. I stayed and watched her practice on the bleachers while doing my homework, finding solace in the nature all around me. The boys' and girls' soccer teams were taking advantage of the lack of rain by using the whole field to work on individual elements. Irina was practicing her penalty shots (who knew Joshua's soccer lingo would rub off on me?) when it happened.

The ball flew over the goal, completely missing the target, and flew in slow motion toward Edward Cullen, who was taking a short cut to his dorm, Blanely Hall, by passing in front of the gym. Which was right behind the goal. He looked up just in time and shot his hand out to stop the ball's trajectory toward his face. The ball bounced pathetically on the ground once, twice, three times, before he scooped the ball up and glared in Irina's direction. The hand covering her mouth slowly lifted up, signaling to him to return her ball.

Edward Cullen sneered visibly, walked up to her, and from where I stood, seemed to be pushing a finger into her chest. I ran over to them, leaving my books behind on the bleachers.

I calmly placed my hand on Irina's shoulder and told her to go back to her practice. Edward's expression turned incredulous, then livid, before crossing his arms over his chest.

"I wasn't done with her, Swan." He looked me dead in the eye.

"Yes you are. You _almost _got hit, so be thankful that the ball didn't actually hit you and that no grass stains got on your precious peacoat and let it go already." I didn't know where this courage came from, but I was seething.

At first he seemed like he was going to throw grass at _my _uniform, but his expression changed suddenly. He was smug, that son-of-a-bitch. "You really shouldn't have done that," he smirked, and turned back toward his dorm. I was still in an defensive stance, my shoulders tense and my hands balled up. I relaxed, though my mind was anything but relaxed. He seriously backed off that easily? Was he threatening me? In any case, Irina was safe from his snooty ass for now. Irina was whispering with the goalie she had been practicing with. She turned to me and mouthed _thank you _before the coach yelled at her for not practicing and she went back to kicking the ball to the goalie. I heaved a big sigh and picked up my books from the bleachers. I was going to be early to Carmen's today.

On the bike ride to Carmen's I finally realized the ramifications of my defending Irina. I started panicking and consulted Carmen as soon as I made it to her bakery. We both came to the conclusion that I was royally screwed.

**If any of you were wondering, this takes place in October in Tacoma, a pretty uneventful city from what I hear from my Washington friends. If you can help me with any Washington facts that would be awesome! Also, I drew a map (albeit very badly; I'm no architect) of Mount Marcus... If any of you want the map then write it in a review and I'll post a link on my profile! I'm sticking to my promise of an update within a week in exchange for ten reviews! Don't worry, I'm already working on chapter 3!**


	4. Chapter 3: Une Nouvelle Isabella

**Okay, So I didn't quite get the ten reviews I was hoping for, but thank you to those who are reading and subscribing! I hope to hear from all of you soon. I felt guilty for not updating even though I've had the chapter in my hands for a long time. It's a short one.**

**Disclaimer: I don't profit from my writing. I don't own Hana Yori Dango or Twilight. No copyright infringement is intended. **

**Chapter 3: Une Nouvelle Isabella**

**---**

There had to be a catch. It was just a normal school day. So far.

I'd decided to come to school today despite Carmen's warning that I was going to become a sacrificial lamb to the Elite; I expected to face hell immediately following my entering the school property. However, nothing was out of the ordinary. Normal...

By lunch time, I was thoroughly convinced that he'd let it go. I was even feeling smug, praising myself for being able to stand up to him. Irina and I were chatting excitedly about my success when a shadow fell over out table. The whole dining hall went silent. James, another WMC minion, slapped a piece of paper on our table.

"Mount Marcus Prep Senior Isabella Swan has been officially warned by the WMC," he smirked unkindly and was gone as fast as he had appeared.

The dining hall was buzzing with gossip at this point. I'd only caught a few phrases being passed around.

"Scholarship girl-"

"--punched Cullen-"

"-and tripped him"

"--on purpose!"

"-filthy mutt-"

"--expelled--"

At this last word, my head snapped up. There was no way in _hell _I was going to be expelled. I'd worked so hard to get in and my parents were going to be so disappointed... If only I had a better control over my temper..

"I'm sorry, Isabella. I can't..." Irina didn't even finish her sentence, but walked across the room and dumped her tray in the basket before sauntering out the door. Of course she was going to leave me when I needed a friend the most. She couldn't be associated with me. She was going to be _victimized_ too. I couldn't allow the traitor tears to fall from my eyes. I had to get out of here, to somewhere safe.

---

I ended up in the practice room, not having the energy to make it anywhere else. What really did me in was the smirk Cullen had given me as I ran out onto the patio surrounding the dining hall. He was sitting outside with Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie, which was unusual since they almost always sat upstairs in their own VIP section.

Running up the staircase to the music rooms was not a good idea either, as I had slipped and slid on the wood floors, cursing my ratty shoes. I ended up arriving at the practice room barefoot. At times like these, I had to do was distract myself to ignore the chaos going on in my head. It felt like a curse having an active, imaginative brain. All the scenarios of how they would punish me tortured me relentlessly. My feet took me across the room to the piano and my fingers drifted to the ivory and ebony keys of their own accord. They played a tune I hadn't heard in a long time, and my brain took awhile to recognize the song. Chopsticks. It was one of the pieces I'd learned from the few piano lessons I'd taken. It soothed me and eventually, after going through the song six times, I was able to think clearly.

I was going to be the first one to declare war against the Womanizing Men Club. I was going to stand up for the numerous students who fell victim to the serial punishment inflicting group.

With this newfound resolve, I stood up, kicked the piano bench back a few inches, grabbed my lunch, and strode out of the room.

When I walked to English late, I didn't hesitate or cower. As long as I was going to destroy myself, I was going to do it thoroughly. The entire class faced me, and I met each and every stare with a glare of my own. One by one, each person back down, facing the front of the classroom. The only person whose gaze remained on me was the one and only Edward Cullen. The confused expression on his face made my heart to a victory dance- I'd managed to break him for the time being.

Yeah, bitches, Bella Swan's going down with a fight.

Even the professor seemed to sense my change in demeanor and gave me a surreptitious wink.

Edward didn't look at me again that class, though I imagined that he must have been confused as hell.

After class, he glared after me as I traipsed out the door, leaving behind a room full of whispering honors English students. Walking down the halls, there was more whispering. It seemed that now the whole school had learned about my sudden surge of confidence. Good. In AP U.S History, my last class, Jasper Whitlock actually leaned over the aisle separating our desks and whispered, "Let 'em have it. Don't let anything bring you down, Swan." He leaned back toward his seat and didn't give any indication that he'd spoken to me whatsoever. I wondered if he was sarcastic or if he genuinely was rooting for me, to shake up the school. Immediately after the final bell rang, I turned toward him to ask what he meant, but he was gone. As I had said before to Irina, that boy was a mystery.

Carmen and Alice were going to have a shit fit when they learned what I'd done.

**This was pretty short but it was the length I'd originally planned it to be, unfortunately. **

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	5. Chapter 4: Introducing the Brandons

**Another short filler chapter (despite my impromptu hiatus that lasted several months) but trust me, I'm working on putting up weekly updates. Thanks so much to the reviews and subscribers. Every single notification I get when someone subscribes to this story means a lot to me. Thank you also for sticking with me.**

_**Under every scar, there's a battle I've lost**_

_**- Eclipse (All yours), by Metric.**_

**Chapter 4: Introducing the Brandons**

"I mean, Bella, you're always complaining about those WMC and stuff, but there's more to your school than that! Everyone has a great chance of getting into top-notch colleges and even you have to admit that the guys there aren't too shabby. Look at the guys I've had to settle for at Crawford! I know they're just a side dish, so to say, since college is top priority, but it couldn't hurt to get some while I'm in high school. You keep telling me that the guys'll be worth it at NYU, but _Bells, _I can kiss as many frogs as I want before I find my prince! Well..." Alice continued her harangue despite the fact that it was obvious that I wasn't in the least bit interested in hearing how lucky I was that my school was full of rich bastards. Alice unnecessarily gesticulated during her lecture, her hands flying around her as she emphasized the pros to attending Mount Marcus. Her enthusiasm didn't rub off on me, however, despite her best efforts.

I'd always admired Alice's ambition for her education. Ever since her five year old sister's accident over a year ago, Alice became an unstoppable force. Her priorities shifted, and though she was only a junior at the time, her role in her family became that of a provider. Her father left their family after he nearly killed Cynthia.

Though it was an accident, the consequences were severe, and he knew that. So he fled.

When Cynthia was four, her father had left her in a room overnight with a space heater. It was an old, unreliable piece of crap, and ended up overheating and making the curtain adjacent to it catch fire. Mrs. Brandon had discovered this too late, and wasn't able to save her youngest daughter before being escorted outside by firemen along with Alice and Mr. Brandon. Though a brave firefighter was able to rescue Cynthia, the corporal damage was almost irreparable.

Mere hours later in the early morning, barely after Cynthia was taken to the hospital, Mr. Brandon fled and was never heard of again. Prior to the accident, Mr. and Mrs. Brandon were having difficulties in their marriage, mainly from financial disputes, so it was not a complete surprise, what he did. However, it was completely unforgivable. What he did was the lowest of the low, leaving your family when they needed you the most. What a coward.

Cynthia was still undergoing treatments for her burnt skin at the hospital. She was a live-in patient, and Mrs. Brandon wasn't able to visit her as much as she wanted because of all the hours she was working to pay the expenses of the treatments. The money Alice made at Carmen's went straight to Cynthia; not a penny was spent on Alice herself. She stopped shopping for clothes, stopped buying books and electronics and stupid shit like teenagers were supposed to do. At first she'd considered dropping out of school, but her mom and I were able to convince her to live her dream of going to NYU and studying business and design. It had always been her dream, but now her reasons for doing it were entirely unselfish. She hoped to get a job while she studied at NYU that had flexible work hours and a salary that was more than minimum wage. Her ultimate goal was to open a clothing store for teenage girls with very affordable prices and one-of-a-kind outfits. She wanted what she couldn't have for other girls.

Alice was amazing like that.

Carmen often sent Alice home with extra money, knowing it would be spent on Cynthia, but hoping that Alice could treat herself once in awhile. My Dad also did what he could at the hospital, pulling a few strings to make it easier on the Brandons, though ultimately he had very little power. We all did what little we could to make up for Mr. Brandon's fuck-up.

I was almost finished wiping down the already spotless counter when Carmen strode into the room from her office.

"It's not fair to make you stay here when there aren't any customers, and I know both of you'd rather spend time with your boyfriends and stuff, so why don't you girls take off for the night?" Carmen always joked about us having boyfriends because it was obvious that boys weren't something we could handle at this point, seeing as we both were busy with our respective financial problems at home. "Oh, and Alice the cash's on my desk. Get yourself a cute pair of jeans this weekend, honey." Carmen stated nonchalantly, starting to close down the store. Alice nodded and silently walked to the office. We all knew Alice wasn't going to be getting those jeans.

I sighed and helped Carmen clean up, our light conversation about me declaring war against the WMC filling the air as we put the chairs on top of the tables and shut off the lights. Carmen and Alice backed my decision but warned me that when you play with fire, you get burned.s

It was the middle of the night, and I was groggy as I made my way into the kitchen to soothe my parched throat; I had a bad habit of forgetting to keep myself hydrated. Before I stepped through the archway, though, I noticed that the light was on and my Dad's form was illuminated in the one fluorescent light that was on in the room. He was hunched over the dining table, using a wrench to screw something in place on what looked like a wire basket. There were pieces of metal scattered on the table, and my father's eyes were drooping a bit as he tirelessly worked on the basket. Seeing this, I immediately remembered our conversation a few days ago over dinner.

Dad had told me that when I rode my bike to school, it would be easier and safer if I didn't carry my backpack on my back. He'd suggested a basket for my bike, but I didn't think anything of it until now. He wiped a hand over his brow and put the wrench down on the table before cleaning up the metal scraps. When he started moving toward the front door to leave for his night shift at the hospital, I finally stepped into the kitchen and gave him a kiss on the cheek, hugged him and thanked him for always looking out for me. He murmured an "I love you, sweetheart," before pulling back, giving me a wide smile that made his eyes crinkle at the corners, and going out the front door.

I poured myself a glass of water, and let my hand drift over the wire basked as I sipped the water. I realized, then, that though I wasn't the richest person at my school, what I had was better than money- I had parents who would sell their soul to the devil if it meant that my brother and I would be raised with a top-noch education and have bright futures ahead of us.

**Please tell me what you think. My goal is to post every weekend. Thanks for reading, my lovelies, and I hope you're all having a great summer (especially because Eclipse is in theaters...!)**


	6. Chapter 5: Inner Monologues

**Thanks to those who've favorited and reviewed so far. Maybe we can get to 20 reviews? *Crosses fingers***

**This is the longest chapter I've written yet at 2.5+ K words!**

_**Sidewalk crouches at her feet**_

_**Like a dog that begs for something sweet**_

_**-Hello, I Love You,**_ _**The Doors**_

**Chapter Five: Inner Monologues**

It's Friday. I don't know how, but I made it through Thursday without a hitch- no pranks, no death threats, and no contemptuous stares were directed at me at all.

Maybe I'd won this round. Maybe, just maybe, the WMC decided I wasn't worth their time and they decided to let me off the hook. It _was_ only a warning after all. They weren't privy to the fact that I was going to retaliate and declare war on them, too. Students who were warned only suffered very minor damage the day after the warning was issued. Why was I an exception?

I didn't even want to consider the fact that maybe I hadn't suffered the consequences yet due to the WMC taking their time in plotting their punishment for me.

Irina- who I'd forgiven when she apologized for bailing on me a few days ago- and I walked out of the dining hall, chattering about her Halloween plans. I, of course, was never invited to any of these parties over the years, and this year was no exception. I already knew that I was, again, not on the invite list because at Mount Marcus, planning for Halloween affairs started as soon as classes were in session. Invitations were sent out during the first two weeks of school-_no later, _or else your party was on the "skip" list.

A simpler reason as to why I knew that I wasn't invited was because I didn't belong to a clique and was therefore unimportant. It didn't bother me. High school was just a blip in my life- college was going to be the beginning of my_ real_ life.

There was a tacit rule at our school that parties could never conflict with each other. There had to be separate themes, times, caterers, venues, you name it, to ensure minimal conflict during the school's favorite holiday. In fact, our school was so big on Halloween that we had the day after Halloween off. This was a stipulation by the WMC, of course. Their party was the only one that had had the same time slot every year.

On the night of October 31st, from ten in the evening to three in the morning, the WMC Halloween Ball took place. If anyone was dumb enough to schedule a party at the same time, they were not only automatically disqualified, so to say, but they were also declared the new enemy of the WMC. Since no one had dared to go against this tacit code in the last four years, the "public enemy #1" position was yet to be filled for this situation. I digress.

Since there were only two more classes until the beginning of the weekend- _Hallelujah-_ there was no way anything could happen to me. Since I'd only been given a warning, my punishment was more than likely within the school property, during school hours.

As I was thinking this, I chugged the remainder of the liquid in my Odwalla bottle, threw the container into the pristine blue bin, and turned back toward Irina to walk the rest of the way toward the dining hall exit when I slipped on the just-mopped wood floor, tried to catch Irina's arm, and failed; the smoothie I had yet to swallow spewed out of my mouth, and I worried that it was going to ruin the clean hardwood floor.

There was no need for my worries, however, because something infinitely worse happened at that moment.

The disgusting orange liquid splattered onto someone's blazer in front of me as I fell on my hands and knees with a loud _thumk_. The blazer was unmistakable since it was out of uniform and most likely cost more than this school's tuition.

Yes, I just said "this school" instead of "my school" because I was going to be expelled for sure for pulling this stunt, accident or not.

The owner of the blazer I'd just destroyed glanced down at his chest, still clutching an empty bottle of water in his outstretched hand. For a mili-second, I was amused at the fact that he was about to throw away his own trash. Who knew the boy had to do _some _things himself? I wondered if he even hired someone take care of his, erm, business in the... nether regions. And I wasn't talking about anything having to do with his family's hotel company.

_It's called a prostitute, Bella. _The sane part of me quipped. _Get your head out of the gutter and __**do **__something!_ The immature side of me said "that's what she said," but obeyed. I decided that the first thing I should do was apologize; I started moving my mouth, but all that came out was, "sorry... gutter... prostitute... shit... expelled..." Sane Bella started packing her bags, deeming me useless. _Hasta la vista, baby._

Then it registered that while I'd been having my inner monologue, the entire cafeteria had gone silent. At least my auditory senses decided to return after the departure of my ability to form a coherent apology.

Edward Cullen looked up toward the ceiling, his jaw tense, hands balled into fists at his sides. He craned his neck upward so his chin stuck up, showing his confidence and, to no surprise, utter fury. I flinched and started to stand up, only to stop immediately when his eyes flickered down toward me. His eyes widened with recognition before his lips twitched, displaying a crooked smile.

"You really shouldn't have done that, Swan..." he started, and the words were out of my still dysfunctional mouth before I even thought of saying them.

"This makes it official. I declare war on you, Edward Cullen."

He showed a moment of shock, his crooked smile faltering, before coming back in full force. Apparently he thought this was hilarious. I put my hands on my hips and jutted my chin up in defiance. I was taking a stand.

**EPOV**

She was taking a stand. Against me. How fucking cute.

Correction: she was taking a stand _alone. _That new bitch, Irina, started backing up slowly, her large gray eyes impossibly wide, and her mouth in an _O _shape. Yeah, she realized the risk she was taking in standing anywhere near Swan. I might want to fuck her sometime. Her legs were long and her hair was long, so I could pull on it while... _Snap out of it Cullen. You have other things to deal with._ Yeah, well, I could have Irina help me deal with... _me _later. If you know what I mean.

I smirked at the prospect of relieving some of the stress of dealing with Swan later on. Then, I shrugged out of my ruined blazer only to realize that the fucking drink had gotten on the shirt I was wearing underneath, too. Oh, and my fucking pants, too. How fucktastically awesome. I didn't dwell on this since there was shit to do. I peeled off my shirt slowly, giving the girls in the room quite a show. Many of them had already seen this, though, and more... But still, every single fucking pair of eyes in the room widened and I swore I could see some girls panting, maybe even hyperventilating.

If I wasn't so fucking rich, I'd probably be able to work as a male stripper. This body was definitely designed for that profession, if you could call being a stripper a profession at all. Whatever.

When my whole upper body was exposed for all to see, I tossed the shirt and blazer into the trash can and faced Swan again. _I bet if I check the trash can after school, they'd be gone. Crazy bitches. I'll have James get on that. _It was obvious that she was trying not to show that she was impressed with my physique. What a shame. It would have been fun to see her start drooling.

Her eyes glanced between my eyes and my chest but eventually settled for my eyes. I stared her down until she looked around her, presumably searching for her companion. When she saw a glimpse of Irina already on her way out the door, her eyes narrowed and her face was actually quite frightening. _But so hot._ I couldn't help but admit that something about her soulful brown eyes and long chestnut hair made me want something other than a booty call for once. But I couldn't show any weakness towards this girl. She was a threat to the WMC.

Satisfied that she'd lost our stare down, I backed away, my eyes never leaving hers when she looked at me again. She started gnawing on her bottom lip and her eyebrows furrowed, making a dent on her forehead. God dammit, she was cute. I was turned on by her defiance towards me.

My smile faltered when I realized that this was going to be harder than I thought. How could I declare war against her if I found her so... Irresistible?

Fuck that. Edward Cullen doesn't _do _girls.

Girls do him. Me. Whatever.

With that in mind, I called for our go-to man, James. He was perfect when you wanted to track someone down and declare war against them. He loved that shit- punishing our peers when they did something that made us unhappy. Maybe more than was proper. He was definitely his father's son. His father... Let's just say that he was in the film industry. And made a fuckton of money from sick shit. I digress.

"James!" I yelled toward the table I knew he was sitting at, the table near the staircase that led up to our VIP section. As expected, he came scuttling toward me like a fucking mouse.

"Yes, Mr Cullen?"

"Make the announcement that the WMC has declared war against Swan." I kept my smirk in place to hide the sense of doom that overcame me. Why was I feeling this way? She was just a girl. A victim.

"Yes, sir." He replied, then scuttled off to do whatever the fuck he does to get ready for the Declaration.

Isabella Swan, to her credit, didn't show an ounce of fear as she looked me straight in the eye, flicked her luscious hair over her shoulder, and strode off towards the exit. Her hips swayed gently with every step she took. What a girl.

What did I just get myself into?

**BPOV**

_What did I just get myself into?_

Did I regret doing what I did? I pondered this for awhile as I strode out of the dining hall. _Not at all, _I concluded. This gave me a boost of confidence, and I kept my head held high as the entire school watched me leave. This could have been the best or worse thing I'd ever done. _We'll see how this turns out. I guess high school won't be as boring as I thought after all. _

_If you even make it through senior year,_ Snarky Bella replied.

_If I make it through high school, _I amended in my head sadly.

I walked around campus aimlessly, lost in my thoughts. I had to remind myself never to trust Irina again. She'd flaked on me twice in the week we'd known each other, and that was a big no-no in my book.

Though I'd never done it before, I decided to skip my next two classes. Who knew what would happen if I stayed here any longer. It wasn't safe. I quickened my pace when I heard the bell ring, signaling the beginning of class. I finally made it to the front office and signed out. The woman at the desk looked at me curiously, but I ignored her and made my way towards the bike racks. They were ancient, since no one here ever took any transportation that wasn't their limousines. But at least I never had to worry about someone stealing my bike. Until now. I reminded myself to start bringing the bike lock, though my efforts would be futile since the kids here had other ways of stealing my bike. But it would give me some peace of mind.

As I rode out of the school property, I caught the eye of Jasper Whitlock again. I hadn't had any contact with him after that day in AP U.S History when he whispered to me then pretended like nothing happened. He was in his fancy car a couple twenty feet away from me- I wasn't car-savvy, so all I could say was that it was black and sleek and probably not even available to the general public yet. It came as a surprise to me that he didn't have his chauffeur today.

He winked at me, waved, and drove over to where I'd stopped my bike. He leaned out of the open window.

"Hey Swan. It was a nice stunt you pulled back there" he nodded in the vicinity of the dining hall, "I respect you and all, but you're in some deep shit. I wish I could help you, but I'm only one third of this group. Anyway, your absence from your two classes today is going to be clear from your record." He flicked his hand to gesture that it was clear. I wanted to ask him how, but decided I probably didn't want to know.

"Thanks, Whitlock," I responded. _Very articulate, Swan._

"No problem, Swan. I like you. You're not like those other bitches." He deadpanned. I decided in that moment that I liked Jasper Whitlock too. He was mysterious, sure, but he was aloof as well and never did any harm to anyone. Edward did enough for the two of them.

"Thanks, I guess." As I said it, I realized that I really meant it. "You're skipping class too?" I changed the subject.

"Nothing like starting your weekend early. But I'm not the one escaping from my fellow students who are out for blood. Good luck with that." He nodded to himself. This seemed to be his form of goodbye, as he'd sped off toward the main road. All boarding students were allowed to leave the school grounds, as long as they abided by the curfew and the conduct rules. Of course, there were no conduct rules or curfews where the WMC was concerned.

I sighed and continued on my way home. I was going to enjoy this weekend, since next week was undoubtedly going to be hell.

**Well, I wasn't planning on writing that much. I DEFINITELY didn't plan on writing an EPOV (my first!), but Cullen just wouldn't shut up. Oh, and Irina's a bitch. :)**

**I promised myself that I would update every weekend, but I was out of town for a week, so I haven't been able to write until today. **

**Bare-chested WMC Edwards to all who review!**


	7. Chapter 6: Don't Think of the Game!

**I'm sixteen hours ahead of my usual time, so maybe you guys could grace me with some reviews as a jet lag remedy? *wink wink***

**Shoutout to my bestie citrusandrain28. I don't know if you're reading this, and I sincerely hope you aren't, but if you are, you know I heart you to the end of the earth and back and not only because you give me ice cream and hugs and iPod chargers. ;)**

**I also realized that I forgot the disclaimer for the last chapter. So this disclaimer is for chapter five and six.**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does. I don't own any pop culture references, either. **

_**Just cause we can't see them doesn't mean that they're not there. **_

_**-The Orchard- Sea Wolf**_

**Chapter Six: Don't think of the Game!**

It was inevitable, but, like a coward, I hadn't even touched my computer on Friday or Saturday, knowing my fate came in the form of an email in my mailbox. Upon checking my email Sunday morning, I found an a letter in my inbox that was sent right after lunchtime on Friday. Well, the WMC definitely did not waste time when it came to informing their victims about their imminent punishment.

_From: theWMC (at) mac . com_

_Subject: Isabella Marie Swan, Senior at Mount Marcus Prep_

_Date: October 8 2010 12:46:04 AM PDT_

_To: Isabella Swan Iswan (at) mountmarcus . edu_

_Monday, October 11, 2010, the WMC requests your presence in the dining hall at lunchtime to carry out whatever punishment Mr. Edward Cullen sees fit. _

_Keep in mind that it is in your best interest to attend this meeting. Theo Racle is an example of what we can do to you should you decide not to show up._

And so I was trapped. Theo, who was a sophomore last year, was the first ever to not show up to receive his lunchtime punishment. Which was a huge mistake on his part. He ended up being home schooled the remainder of the year until he moved to middle-of-nowhere-Michigan for his junior year.

The day after Theo skipped the lunch meeting, he found that in every single one of his classes that day, his seat was glued to the ceiling. When he went to his locker to pick up his books, he opened it only to have limp condoms, some filled with whipped cream, some with offensive words decorating them, fall out of his locker and all over the hallway floor. That was when he realized exactly who he was messing with, and by lunch period, he had dropped out of Mount Marcus with his tail between his legs. Everyone knew by the end of lunch period, even the chefs in the dining room kitchen.

I tried my damnedest to not think about Monday as I finished of my homework, but it was as futile as not thinking of the Game. The more I tried, the more I thought about it. By noon, I'd finished all my homework that was due by Tuesday and decided to invite Alice over. She agreed to stop by for a few hours, so I wandered into the living room to wait for her arrival. My mom, Esme, was sitting cross-legged on the couch sewing on pieces of cloth onto a larger square of fabric that spilled onto the floor.

"I didn't know Josh's championships were coming up," I said to her as I sat next to her on the couch, moving away the fabric to make room for myself.

"It's all he talks about now! He's with Carlisle practicing at the park because their coach isn't allowed to have more than two practices a week. I have a good feeling about their team this year, you know. Oh, you're coming to the first game this Saturday, right?" She asked, her eyes still focused on sewing on each team member's name to the banner.

"Of course I am. I promised I'd come to the first game and the championship game," I smiled as I said this. We were both sanguine about his team making it to the championship game. So Joshua let me skip the games in between, since I was definitely not a soccer fanatic like my father. Had he not gone to medical school and gotten a job at the local hospital, he would have coached soccer, though it was hard to tell which profession he loved more. He was passionate about medicine and soccer, so he got the best of both worlds by coaching his only son during his time off.

"He's so sure that they're going to make it that far- I'd do anything for a dose of that boy's confidence. He gets it from his father." Esme mused. There was a knock on the door and only then did I remember to tell my mom that Alice was coming over.

"Mom, Alice's here. Want us to help you with the team banner?" I asked while heading toward the front door.

"That would be fantastic, Bella. Hello, darling, it's great to see you again!" Esme exclaimed as she put down her handiwork to hug Alice, who'd just walked through the doorway.

"Esme! I don't see enough of my foster mom. We all need to have another girls' night sometime soon!" Alice, ever the charmer, suggested to my mom.

"Oh Ali, honey, that sounds so good. I've been wanting some pampering for awhile now, and Bella's so bad with nail polish..." Esme giggled, finding humor at my expense. Alice nodded emphatically at her statement and laughed, knowing full well how much damage I could inflict with something as simple as a nail polish applier.

"Har har har. Let's just laugh at how klutzy I am. Who needs proper balance, anyway?" I retorted. That only made them laugh more. Esme told us what to do and soon we were done with the blood red, white, and black banner. Joshua had actually been the one to pick the name for his team this season: Out for Blood. Which was slightly inappropriate, but the association was more lenient when it came to boys' team names. Alice and I held both sides of the banner up as Mom took a few steps away to admire our work.

"Perfect. The coach has the poles that will hold it up, so I think we're all good to go! Thank you so much, girls." Esme smiled widely and took the fabric from us, folding it a few times so it would fit in a plastic bag. Despite my infamous klutziness, I was quite handy when it came to sewing, thanks to Alice, who'd taught me the art when I started Mount Marcus almost four years ago. I was used to hemming my uniforms now so my mom wouldn't have to waste her time on such trivial things.

Once we made it to my room, Alice pranced over to my bed and sat on the edge with her legs crossed and her hands folded neatly over them.

"So, tell me about Friday! You declared war? What did Fuck-you-I-make-the-rules-around-here Cullen say? What did he do? Oh my gosh, Bella, _please _tell me you didn't back down. 'Cause that's just embarrassing and why not just go to public school if that's what..." I had a strict 'cut Alice off after ten seconds' rule when it came to her rants and cut in after the aforementioned amount of time passed.

"No, I'm staying at Mount Marcus, because yeah, I did declare war on the WMC. But it was an accident. You see," I rushed, "I kinda spat Odwalla all over his 'only 0.0001 percent of the United States population can afford this outfit without breaking the bank' blazer, shirt, and slacks non-uniform." I shivered as I thought of Cullen's face right after I spat all over him, soaking him with 'bourgeois saliva' and smoothie.

"Oh, that is fucking priceless, Nelly Belly! Show me how his face looked! Holy shit, I love your klutziness. It totally delivered your point." She was smiling broadly and clapping her hands together as she said this, obviously enjoying my humiliation. I weakly attempted to imitate Cullen's furious countenance but failed miserably because Alice's raucous laughter was contagious and I couldn't help but smile, ruining the fury and malice I was trying to express like Cullen had. Once we'd both finished laughing, Alice's face dissolved into concern.

"But B, are you sure you can take them on? I can totally skip lunch on Monday, you know, and give you a pep talk and shit." She looked my straight in the eye as she said this. I loved the shit out of her.

"Alice, thanks, but I know they'd find a way to torture you too. Love you, though. Maybe I can call you right before?" I was so selfish.

"Of course, sweetie." She hugged me hard. "Wear that hot bra and panty set you showed me a few weeks ago. I can't believe Esme got that for you! They'll give you confidence- they're your big-girl panties!" I blushed at this, but nodded into her shoulder. She pulled away from our embrace, blew me a kiss on her way out the door, and said, "xoxo, Alice" in her perky way, grinning and closing the door behind her. That girl was crazy with a capital K.

Our conversation at dinner revolved around the topic of Joshua's playoffs and Mom's banner. Dad and Josh both enthused about our craftiness and Mom and I blushed at the compliments. I mussed Josh's hair as I gathered all the dinner plates, earning myself a slap on the shoulder, and kissed Dad on the cheek as he got ready for his shift. Mom thanked me for washing the dishes and went into her bedroom to start sorting out the laundry. While I was absentmindedly scrubbing each plate clean of its grime, I once again remembered tomorrow's 'meeting' and started panicking. They wouldn't physically hurt a girl. I could handle anything but violence. But it was unpredictable, since they could get away with anything under the sky. I had nothing to work upon since I had no predecessors. As I lay in bed that night, I decided to go into the dining hall on an empty stomach, lest I should anger Cullen further by puking up my anxiety on his 'Look at how my immaculate stitching enhances the glory that is Edward Cullen' suit. Maybe Jasper Whitlock would enjoy it, though.

And so I fell asleep thinking of Jasper and what role he played in the WMC- he made it seem like he was powerless in his group and yet I'd seen what kind of control he had over the school before. He could move mountains with his cool, listless, yet powerful demeanor. Would he dare defy his friends?

**Tell me, how many of you lost the Game right now? If you don't know that you're playing the Game, PM me and I will make sure that you know that in fact, you **_**are **_**playing the Game. I lost the Game, by the way.**

**Just wanted to remind you guys that if you want to be notified by when I update this story, choose the 'story alert' option- I've found that when I 'favorite' a story, I don't get update emails.**

**I'm also aware that playoffs are not usually in the fall (October/November), but there's a reason for this. Thass' all I'm sayin'. Did any of you lovelies have awesome team names? One of mine was the "Party Crashing Robots." Thankfully, I wasn't the one who came up with it...**

**For every submitted review, a vampire gets its sparkles.**


	8. Chapter 7: Playing God

**Last chapter brought in a bunch of new readers and more subscriptions- thank you! Keep 'em comin'!**

**And without further ado, I present to you... the Meeting.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I wouldn't have to settle for the 900+ pictures of Patty in my Patty Folder- I'd have him on speed dial on my phone. But I don't, so my folder's my best friend. I don't own any pop cultures references, either, especially Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers), Fear Factor, Cover Girl, and Maybelline. No copyright infringement is intended.**

_**When all you wanted **_

_**Was to be wanted**_

_**Wish you could go back**_

_**And tell yourself what you know now.**_

_**Back then I swore I was gonna marry him someday**_

_**But I realized some bigger dreams of mine**_

_**-Fifteen, Taylor Swift.**_

**Chapter Seven: Playing God**

Perspiration was uncomfortably gathered in every crevice of my body, clinging to me, reminding me of my awful nightmare when I woke up, shooting up in bed and frantically pushing the wetness off my overheated skin.

The potency of the nightmare faded as my sweat cooled on my skin, leaving me panting and confused and scared. My head swiveled to check the time on the clock when I noticed the unusually bright sunlight streaming in through the blinds covering my windows. When it registered in my brain that I only had ten minutes to get to first period, I pushed away the fear and confusion and sprung out of bed, the action at odds with my usually hopeless balance. Or maybe it had something to do with the adrenaline in my system, working double time to make up for the fact that I'd just woken up and didn't have an ounce of caffeine in me yet.

I hastily changed into my uniform, not bothering with the tie and instead letting it hang limp around my neck. My left hand was caught in the cuff of my blazer and my heels were pushing down on the backs of my scruffy shoes when I ran out the apartment, my books almost falling out of my backpack when I pushed it into my new basket on the front of my bike.

By sacrificing my appearance, I was able to make it to Calc just as the bell was ringing, albeit looking like I'd slept in my uniform two days straight.

The math building was on the east side of campus, in between the teachers' offices and the arts building, so I had to run through the main building, which housed the foreign language department and the administrative offices. Which meant that I had to run past _a lot _of people.

People stared, and many glared as I scooted onto my seat, which was thankfully not glued to the ceiling like Theo's had been. As the teacher walked into the room, I tied my tie and smoothed my hands over my shirt and skirt, which was a lost cause. My ribs felt too big for my torso and my lungs were going to pop out of my mouth, and I struggled to catch my breath from all the biking and running I'd done since waking up no more than ten minutes prior.

Only when I finally had my respiratory system under control and the right books on my desk did I look around the classroom. Irina 'Let's-be-BFF's-JK-lol-you're-on-your-own' Denali was sitting in the front row, her blonde locks tucked behind her ears and waving down her back. I glared at the back of her head, wishing she'd feel my bitch-ray-glare and a hole would form where I was staring. Since this proved as futile as willing a star to move in the sky simply by staring at it, I looked down at my notes and attempted to get something out of the lesson.

At a cracking sound, though, I turned my head once more to see a couple of boys in my grade cracking their knuckles menacingly, alluding to what was to happen during lunch hour. I gulped down the fear that rose in my throat, threatening to be manifested in the form of bile, mentally flipped them the bird, and went back to my notes because I'd be damned if they knew exactly how afraid I was for the Meeting.

In between fretting over my punishment and half-assing my classes, the day flew by so fast I felt like I'd been slapped in the face when the lunch bell rang in French class. I looked around frantically, wanting someone to assure me that it was just a fire alarm or an earthquake drill or something, anything, that wasn't the lunch bell. When all I got was knowing smirks, I considered begging Madame to give me extra work that would excuse me from the impending Meeting. She shot me a sympathetic look and began erasing the white board, turning her back to me.

I was still in my seat as everyone filed out the door, some snickering as they passed me. One person, however, lightly tugged on one of my braids. Glancing up, I noticed it was Jasper, and smiled meekly at him. He winked at me, and I automatically relaxed, knowing that I at least had one person on my side at this school.

I gathered the books on my desk that only served as props- they were open, turned to the right page, but just for show. The director just called "cut" and the props didn't serve any purpose for me anymore. I was about to walk into a set without having memorized my lines beforehand, not knowing how the scene was going to carry out. Stage fright was setting in, and I was helpless, succumbing under the weight of what was about to happen. This was going to make or break me, though I used the phrase loosely since it was most definitely, without a doubt, going to break me.

I take seven steps and I'm outside the French classroom.

Thirty-nine steps and I'm outside the main building.

Forty-three steps and I'm face-to-face with the double doors of the dining hall, trying to calm myself down lest I should embarrass myself by having a panic attack in front of the whole school. Yeah, the _whole _school's waiting in this room, thriving on my misery. Thriving on lesser beings. Which made them parasites.

I was about to enter a room full of parasites. Why couldn't we all have a symbiotic relationship between social groups? Oh yeah, that's because high school doesn't work that way. Anywhere.

Now my stomach felt queasy, imagining myself entering a tank full of parasitic creatures, Fear Factor-style. I'd come out alive, of course, or else they'd have a law suit on their hands. But that didn't mean that a few bugs weren't going to get a few bites _**(((Hello, author's note here. Sorry for interrupting the flow of the story, but I thought you, my reader, would find it funny that as I typed this sentence, I found a new bug bite on my elbow. Urg. That is all.))) **_ before I was released from the tank.

I just found Fear Factor's new set location, extras included.

At that moment, my phone vibrated in my blazer pocket. It was a more than welcome distraction- I was willing to postpone the inevitable. The text was from Alice.

_**Pep talk time. U can do this, B. Remember-UR going to survive. UR a billion times prettier than any of those fake biotches. Whitlock's on ur side. So am I. Go get em!**_

Though the text wasn't as long as I'd hoped, it did the trick. The ever-sanguine Alice rubbed off on me over the years and I was ready to exude confidence and basically everything Alice was, if only for the next twenty minutes.

Suddenly eager to just get this over with, I pulled on the handle and strode into the room, chanting in my head _easy, breezy, beautiful, easy breezy beautiful; maybe she's born with it, _and other such cheesy yet catchy makeup line catch phrases.

All eyes were on me, but my eyes resolutely stayed focused on my destination. It wasn't hard to find. There was a circle of WMC minions gathered around three chairs placed at the bottom of the staircase leading up to the VIP section. Though I knew it was counterproductive, I searched for Irina, wondering what her role in this ordeal was. She was, of course, sitting at a new table with two other seniors, Aphrodite and Chelsea, who, like her and ninty-eight percent of the school population, were beautiful, rich, and privileged. And according to Alice 'my-pep-talks-are-short-and-sweet' Brandon, forty-nine percent (the female population) of the school were 'fake biotches'. What I wouldn't give to see the world through Alice's eyes.

A crowd began to form behind the minions and around me, but I kept a steady gaze on Cullen, sitting in the middle chair, playing God. I kept an impassive facade while he stared right back, one side of his lips pulled up at the end. To his left, Emmett was grinning and winking at someone all the way across the room, supposedly Rosalie 'I'm-a-model-I-really-don't-have-to-be-here' Whitlock. Despite everything he did, it was obvious he wanted Rosalie.

To Cullen's right was Whitlock himself, looking as disinterested as ever, reading the book we were recently assigned in English.

When Cullen finally stood up, the whole room quieted, whispers of unfinished sentences hanging in the air. It was like time and gravity stopped for him alone, inconsequential in comparison to him. He wasn't just playing God; he _was _a god at this school.

His eyes reflected money and power, green as the piles of money in his trust fund. As green as every tree on campus that was paid for with his family's donations. They were focused on my face and I couldn't help but feel inferior to this god. But I still kept my chin held high.

And then he was three feet in front of me. And something about the crinkle in his eyes, the furrow in his brows, and the curve of his lips as he smirked set me off. Maybe it was from the lack of sleep I had from the night before, tainted by my nightmare. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn't eaten anything since last night. Whatever it was, it possessed me to do something Sane Bella would never do.

While Cullen was thinking out loud, pondering what he should do to me, I took two steps forward, swung my right arm back past my head, and lurched forward as I punched Edward 'I'm-a-god" Cullen square in the jaw. Well, that was what I was aiming for, anyway. It ended up being around his cheekbone, but the intent was still there.

Cullen staggered backwards, clutching his face while yelling out expletives.

"Jesus Christ! Mother fucking-what the fuck is wrong with you, Swan? Son of a bitch; mother of an asshole!" Some of his minions tried to help him out, but he only shoved them away from him. He felt along his left cheek, searching for blood on his face, or a broken bone-_silly boy, gods can't be damaged-_and started flinging his minions around to express his anger and frustration.

When he was done being a drama queen, he turned back to me. I was standing no more than six feet away from him and he started stalking toward me, his nostrils flaring and still looking fuckhot. Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder, and Cullen stopped three feet away from me and turned around, about to fling this guy off, too. But when he noticed that it was Jasper, he calmed down a bit and made a 'what the fuck are you doing?' gesture. Jasper shrugged and came to stand by me, delicately placing an arm around my waist. Cullen followed the movement and his facade finally broke. His eyebrows raised in incredulity and his lips parted slightly.

And yet he still looked like he just jumped out of a photo shoot.

All Jasper said in explanation was, "I'm team Swan. Deal." And he turned us around, my body completely under his control, and walked us out of the dining hall, the ocean of students parting like the Red Sea.

Cullen wasn't the only god around here.

As Jasper lead us back toward south campus, where the student parking lot was located, my brain caught up with me, and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Where the hell are we going, Whitlock?"

"Anywhere you want, Swan. Just as long as it's private, hun. Don't want any eavesdroppers, now, do we?" He made it sound so simple, like we'd been friends for years and ditched school together all the time.

"I can't just leave school, you know." I rolled my eyes, and he caught me, since he looked at me right as I said this. His face showed an iota of surprise. He looked good even when he wasn't aloof. Who knew? "Not all of us can get away with anything." Only gods could do that.

"Anyone can get away with anything when they're with me. And besides, I'm not the only one who ditched last Friday, was I? I seem to recall you were also starting the weekend early." He got me there. So I had no excuse but to follow him as we made the eight minute walk to the student parking lot. We walked past the green house, the senior lockers, which were only ever used by day students, the arts building, Corden Hall, the dorm for all male juniors and seniors, and the fountain at the edge of the quad, which had no purpose except when the sun came out. Then students would take advantage of the rare weather and tan or play sports or sit at the benches. We went past the pools, the water still with the exception of an errant gust of wind, because the cool fall weather didn't permit water sports. Then we finally slipped past the closed gate and into the parking lot.

I'd never really been there before, since I rode my bike to school, but I'd visited it on my Mount Marcus tour as an incoming freshman. Jasper took his keys out of a pocket inside his dark gray fitted blazer and pressed a button; a car beeped in response and he led me toward the coal-black vehicle, even taking care to open the passenger door for me, always keeping his hand on the small of my back. I blushed from all the contact I was having with this god.

The car purred when he turned the key in the ignition, welcoming its master, and it smoothly glided over the concrete when Jasper tapped the accelerator with his foot.

We pulled up to the gate and Jasper didn't even have to do anything- the person on duty at the 24-hour surveillance center opened the gate, already knowing the driver. I had a feeling I didn't know the full extent of Jasper Whitlock's power.

We end up being seated at a nearby French cafe with the whole deck to ourselves. I could get used to this kind of treatment.

When the waiter asks for our orders-in French, nonetheless- Jasper unflinchingly replies, "Un Orangina pour moi et un sandwich de poulet pour la mademoiselle, s'il vous plait." A bottle of Orangina for him and a chicken sandwich for me.

When the waiter bows to us and leaves, I take a sip of my sparkling water and decide to give Jasper a hard time.

"You know, I'm in your French class. I could've ordered for myself. What if I was a vegetarian?" I lightly scold him.

"I know we're in the same class, Swan. But seeing as you're the one who stutters while reading aloud in class, and I'm the one who's fluent, I decided to take matters into my own hands." At this, I blushed. It was true, I wasn't great with pronunciation. "As for the vegetarian part, I was taking my chances. Only _ percent of the population is vegetarian, you know that?" I sighed in defeat. Jasper seemed like a guy who was always three steps ahead of everyone.

I decided to change the subject. "Why didn't you get yourself anything to eat?"

"I already ate. You sure took your sweet time getting to lunch, hun, didn't you?" He smirked. But Whitlock's smirk wasn't unkind. It was the kind of smirk that was reserved for someone you knew well, someone who wouldn't think it was an unkind gesture. Someone who could laugh it off. Did Whitlock consider me a friend now?

I nodded, hiding my mortification at making the three gods wait for me to arrive, like I was someone worth waiting for.

Between bites of the chicken sandwich- Jasper had ordered well- I asked Jasper the million dollar question: why did he save me? He laughed, took a sip of the Orangina, and twisted the cap on the bottle closed before starting his explanation.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. I can call you Bella, right? It's such an enchanting name. I'm sure you know that you're the first girl we've ever targeted. That said, you're also the first girl to ever stand up to us. Do you know how long I've waited for a challenge? Believe it or not, I've grown tired of Edward's seemingly justified feeling of superiority, and you're just the person to put him in his place. So, I'll be your ally. I'll protect you from the other two thirds of the group to the best of my ability and see if this shakes our school up a little. We need a little shaking, don't ya think?" He twisted the cap again and took another few gulps of the juice.

He was 'cool, calm, and collected' Whitlock over on the other end of the table while I was slack-jawed. How could someone who did such bad things be such an eloquent speaker? I picked my jaw off the floor and resumed eating my food, questions flying around my head. Before I could ask one of these questions, however, Jasper stood up from the table.

"We've only got about twenty minutes left in history class- I hope you don't mind me just dropping you off back at school so you could get your stuff. I'd drive you home, but I'm pretty sure Em and Ed are waiting for me back at the suite."

"Of course not." I mumbled around my last bite of sandwich, wiping my mouth on the silk napkin, feeling like I was tainting perfection. Again.

Jasper pulled my seat out for me when I was ready to stand up, and he placed his hand on the small of my back as we walked out of the cafe, only stopping for a moment to pay with his,unsurprisingly, sleek- and since we were in a French restaurant, I might as well use French- _noir_ credit card to pay for the bill.

As he promised, he drove me to the front entrance of Mount Marcus and handed me a post-it note with his phone number and dorm room number written on it. Though the room number was completely unnecessary since everyone knew where the WMC lived. They were in the penthouse suite in the 'elite' building, Blanely Hall.

"Jasper, I can't thank you enough for what you're willing to do to protect me- well, shake up this school, at the very least. It's good to know you're not a prick like Cullen." I said as I ducked out of his car. I couldn't believe I called Cullen a prick in front of this god. But he only laughed. And I was relieved.

"No problem, Swan. Anytime." He replied. I closed the door shut behind me and started walking toward the bike rack when Jasper called my name. I turned around to see him leaning out of the passenger side window.

"By the way, Swan," he began. "Thanks for calling me Jasper." He winked. "And I'm pretty sure you don't want to go back into the dining hall for your backpack, so I'll have it delivered to your house within the next two hours, I promise." My eyes started watering because this god was being unbelievably sincere in his generosity. I nodded and waved to him and he sped out of the entrance gate, taking a left to get to the student parking lot on the other side of campus.

I immediately took my phone out of my blazer pocket to call Alice, whose simple text helped this whole day turn out better than I could have ever expected.

She picked up on the fourth ring since her school just let out.

"Alice, you will never guess what happened today..."

**Some love for updating twice (so far) during my vacation? Please? This was supposed to be longer but I couldn't wait to get this chapter out before I fell into a coma- I mean fell asleep.**

**For every review, a vampire's hair grows a tenth of a millimeter. Hey, it's better than no growth, right?**

***Cue Ke$ha* Your review, your review, your review, is my drug! *Ke$ha fade out***


	9. Chapter 8: Edward Unravels

**Good gravy, guys! Thanks so much for all your positive feedback! What's the catch?**

**Special thanks to Dani (AST801) for helping me with my inconsistency and for her awesome observations. Thanks to auroraboralis for sticking with me from the VERY first chapter, Beata for her all around positive feedback, and to my bestie Citrusandrain 28 who I'm sure isn't reading this story (let's all let out a collective sigh of relief) since she has better things to do during her vaca on the sandy beaches of Hawaii. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I would have made the book a picture book with plenty of Patty pics to ogle at. Sadly, this is not the case. I also don't own any pop culture references, especially Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers).**

_**Fire is the Devil's only friend.**_

_**-American Pie, Don McLean**_

**Chapter 8: Edward Unravels**

**Jasper POV**

As I drove past the security gate and into my normal parking spot, I had no doubt in my mind that this was the right thing to so. All three years of high school I'd never really stood up for anything. I'd never taken a stand or shared my opinion- anything that made me stand out, really. More than usual, anyway.

So this was definitely unchartered territory for me. For the WMC as well. Though Edward was trying to hide his frustration from us all weekend, it was obvious, well, to me, anyway, that he had not a clue as to what he should do with Bella. I'd caught him a few times storming around our common room, fisting his hand in his perfectly imperfect locks or hair, muttering to himself about the Meeting on Monday. He only truly let himself go when he was in our penthouse. He let his cool, arrogant facade slip when he thought Emmett and I weren't there to witness his breakdown.

It was perfect. Bella was already making a huge difference in our normal routine.

I pocketed my keys after locking up the car and walked across the quad, opening the top few buttons of the shirt under my blazer to feel the cool autumn breeze against my chest. It didn't take long before Edward caught up with me. Well, I should have been thankful for at least ten seconds of peace.

"What the fuck, Jasper? Do you know how this looks to everyone else? They're saying we've split up! We've been together since elementary school, so why do we change now that Isabella's intruded? And, fuck! Look at my face!" He complained so much I was looking into hiring someone to just listen to his complaints. I was willing to pay a high price for this. It was a task that was not to be taken lightly. I sighed.

"Yeah, I don't know if Bella noticed, but her right hand was swollen from that blow. I'm pretty sure she was riding quite the adrenaline high after that stunt." I glanced at Edward's face. "You look pretty, Ed. You sure you don't want to sport that look more often?" I joked, bumping my shoulder against his. He only scowled at me and growled.

I continued taunting him, since I could. Emmett, Elizabeth and I were the only ones who could get away with shit like this, so I had a great time taking advantage of my 'best-friend' status. "You can't tell me you didn't think that was hot, Cullen. I know you're not as mad as you claim you are." I confronted him. He had the grace to look slightly ashamed at being caught. As ashamed as a Cullen could ever look, anyway.

"Yeah, well, what's it to you?" He dodged the question like a true to-be owner of a multi-billion dollar company. "It doesn't change the fact that not only did she violate the code of conduct by bitching me out, but she also declared war, Jazz. This is serious shit." As much as I tried not to, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. I stopped walking to clutch at my stomach as I bent over with the impact of my laughter. In between gasps for breath, I choked out, "Ed, 'code of conduct'?" Gasp. "You're hilarious! 'Serious shit'?" Gasp. "Are you shitting me? That's just-" Gasp. "Ridiculous!" I stood upright again and wiped stray tears from my eyes. I hadn't laughed that much since middle school. Edward seemed to realize this as well and his glare softened infinitesimally.

This was another unexpected small impact Bella Swan had on our little group- I was beginning to enjoy my time in high school. It _was _senior year, after all. I should have been living it up. There was no doubt in my mind that Bella was a very good influence, a welcome intrusion into our lives. For me, at least. I couldn't speak for Edward, who was hell-bent on having his revenge.

Edward's revenge tactics were a result of lack of control at home. Emmett and I knew that. So we let him vent. But it went on for too long. It really started in our freshman year, when we made ourselves-the young, rebellious rascals we'd been since elementary school- the WMC. In order to establish our power at the school, Edward started instilling fear in our peers through small punishments for individual blunders. This evolved over time into something much more complicated and powerful than the three of us ever expected. We had people working under us, playing _Simon Says_, or in our case, _Cullen says_; fellow students who feared, worshipped, and envied us; teachers who turned a blind eye to our numerous misdeeds. We had the world at our feet.

Well, the city of Tacoma, at least.

But then again, when you're in high school, your whole world is your friends, family, and school. So indeed- the world is at our feet.

"Think of it this way- wouldn't it be fun to have a girl like Bella in our group? She's stubborn and doesn't take shit from anyone. Sounds just like someone I know." I glanced at him, waiting for his eyes to meet mine to get the point across. His lips twitched and he pulled out the top few buttons of his freshly ironed button-down- he'd had the decency to cover himself again after stripping out of his smoothie-coated clothes in the dining hall. I told him as much.

"We don't want to have to call the ambulance to escort Mount Marcus's female population to the ER for fainting at the sight of me, do we?" His chin jutted upwards as he said this. There was my smug bastard. I pushed him away jokingly, and he stumbled before regaining his balance and pushing me back. We laughed together.

"But seriously, Cullen. If you mess with Swan, I'm going to give you a black eye to match that bruise on your cheek. See what the media will think of that." I warned him. He brushed it off, scoffing and making a _pfft _sound, but I knew he actually took the warning to heart. My iPhone vibrated in my blazer pocket with a text from Emmett as we made our way through the quad to Blanely Hall.

**U better be alive right now or else who's going to get me to Rose?**

I snorted. Typical Emmett. Disguising his concern with jokes. He balanced out Edward's broodiness and my aloofness with his great sense of humor and easygoing-ness. Not to mention his muscles. He was definitely his father's son. I texted him back.

**Lucky for U, we're on our way to the suite. Hit on some other guy's sister, you jerkoff.**

He immediately texted back to defend his masculinity, which- trust me- didn't need any defending.

**Who you callin a jerkoff? Say that to all the girls I've fucked at this school. When was the last time you were laid Mr. I-only-fuck-older-women. Older women, my ass. I call bullshit.**

We'd gone through this so many times I didn't think I should justify that statement with a reply. High school girls bored me. College girls, on the other hand, had more experience and knowledge. Graduate students, however, were a completely different world when it came to maturity. Maturity was as hard to find in a boarding school nouveau-riche bitch as it was to find a sex toy in a Hello Kitty store.

Edward slipped his school-issued ID into the key slot to allow us to enter Blanely and pulled it back out when the light turned green. We strode into the foyer and as soon as we entered, Alec jumped off the sofa where he was checking Facebook with his laptop sitting on the coffee table; he half-jogged across the room ahead of us and pushed the 'up' button for the elevator and stood by the doors. It was funny how they acted did whatever we commanded them to do as if they were being paid to do it. Oh, the things people do to be accepted in high school.

When the elevator doors opened, Alec stepped to the side and greeted us formally. "Mr. Cullen, Mr. Whitlock." Edward didn't even acknowledge the greeting, but I nodded to Alec and gave him a tight smile.

We rode up the floors and the elevator dinged when it arrived at the penthouse floor of the 'Elite Building', which was the nickname for Blanely, coined by awed students who paid for normal housing in the other available dormitories. All the dormitories were luxurious, to say the least, but Blanely Hall residents had the added perk of being able to design their room as they saw fit, as long as they limited themselves to the confines of their room. Many students who could afford the extra price were drawn to the promise of being able to express their creativity.

We were just here because it was the best of the best that Mount Marcus had to offer. Which was saying a lot.

Edward used his ID card again to enter our suite, where we found Emmett playing air hockey against an invisible opponent. For a single-man game, he was really into it. His face showed deep concentration, and his stance showed off his agility. He stopped playing when he came in greeted us by saying, "Hey, Ed, let's find someone our age who could show Jazzy a good time!"

He obviously wasn't done with our text conversation.

"Give it up, Em. You know how I am." I replied breezily. Edward only laughed.

"Yeah, I know that you need to loosen up, ya old man! Ed, make us a round of shots. You're closer to the bar." Emmett turned off the air hockey table and hopped on the sofa, his huge body spilling off the edge of the cushion. His hands went behind his neck and he sighed, turning on the TV. I rolled my eyes at his inability to stay on a single topic for more than a minute.

Edward brought over a tray with three shot glasses filled with... was that straight vodka? Hell, that boy must have been more affected by Bella today than I originally thought.

This was most definitely a good sign. Though I had to remind myself to get my ass out of the common room before he got drunk off _his_ ass. I hated dealing with Drunkward.

We each picked up a glass and lifted them in the air, waiting for Edward to make a toast. He downed his own glass before actually saying anything, though.

"To crazy, stubborn girls who make you second-guess yourself."

**Some love for three updates while I'm on vacation? And for getting three mosquito bites while connecting my computer to the communal internet to update?**

**For every review, an outfit goes from a Cullen's closet to Goodwill. After being worn only once, of course. (Ahem, Stephenie Meyer living vicariously through her characters)**


	10. Chapter Nine: Do Your Dirty Worst

**Good gravy. I cannot apologize enough for this being so late. Summer was all good and well, but... RL comes first, ya know? **

**Thanks to those of you who reviewed and stuck with me! Gold star to cruiz107 for pushing me to update again :)**

_**This time baby I'll be Bulletproof**_

_**I won't let you turn around**_

_**I'll tell you now**_

_**I'm much too proud**_

_**To walk away from something when it's dead.**_

_**Do do do your dirty worst,**_

_**Come out to play when you are hurt,**_

_**There's certain things that should be left unsaid**_

_**-La Roux, Bulletproof.**_

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, Bree Tanner would have lived. Nuff said. But I **_**do **_**own Bella Bedding now!**

**Chapter Nine: Do Your Dirty Worst**

Monday evening found me at work, being accosted by my boss and my co-worker, who were apparently more invested in my life than Carmen's bakery. I was flattered by their interest, but began to worry about the welfare of the bakery. Surely we couldn't be making that much of a profit if we were gossiping during work hours? I digress.

I arranged the Halloween decorations on the display table while the gossip vultures descended upon me.

"So, Jasper _Whitlock_?"

"Where did you go?"

"What did he say?"

"What did he want?"

I sighed, putting on the theatrics. My life wasn't very interesting, so sue me. I was going to milk this drama all I could. Once I got a taste of drama, I found that it was quite entertaining. I could get used to this.

"Jasper," I reveled in Alice's wide eyes as I called him by his first name, "Saved me from Edward Cullen's wrath after I punched him during the 'meeting'." Cue collective gasp. I continued, "and he took me out to lunch. He told me that he was on my side and that I should take Cullen down a notch. He's a good ally to have." I left Carmen and Alice, mouths open, to go help a customer who walked in.

Immediately after the old lady, who prudishly only purchased a macaroon, left the store with a _ching ching _of the bell above the front door, Alice and Carmen resumed their interrogation.

"Are you sure it's not a trick?" Carmen asked suspiciously.

"Please, Carmen. Jasper Whitlock is such a mellow guy- he'd never play Bella like that." Alice scoffed.

I put my hands up in surrender. "All I know is that he's willing to help me and he has inside information. Isn't that enough?" Alice and Carmen reluctantly nodded their heads.

"Good. So, what should I do now? Nothing's going to be the same," I murmured. Carmen placed a soothing hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know, _dolcezza_," Carmen admitted. I loved it when she called me endearing names; it made me feel less like an employee and more like a daughter, or a sister. As a second generation Italian, her parents, who were each from Spain and Italy, raised her to be trilingual, though she preferred to use Italian because Spanish reminded her too much of her deceased father. "I think you've already crossed this line; there's no turning back." She patted my shoulder and walked to the back room. Alice smiled solemnly in agreement and took my hand and squeezed it in reassurance.

"I, for one, know that you're going to kick their asses. Well, not Whitlock's, because he's nice and has a nice ass, but you know who I'm talking about," Alice declared. I smiled back at her thankfully. The vultures were satiated for now, but I knew that they'd be ravenous for their share of gossip again soon.

Unfortunately, Jasper's impromptu hooky time took its toll on my workload that night. Because I missed my Honors English and AP United States class, I had to make up the work at home.

FML.

It was midnight and I was nodding off while finishing off my last assignment. A few minutes later, I sighed in relief when I completed all my work. Not caring that I was still wearing my black pants from work, I crawled into bed and fell asleep thinking about what it would be like to not be an outcast.

Though I'd only gotten a little over six hours of sleep, when my alarm went off, I shot up in bed and jumped out like a bunny on crack, accidentally knocking over a few books and newspaper articles on the edge of my bed. I hurriedly picked them up and placed them on my desk, next to my laptop, and skipped into my bathroom. After opening and closing several drawers, I finally found what I was looking for.

Makeup. And a straightening iron.

Since I was never a huge morning person, I'd never bothered with doing anything but getting food into my stomach and getting my ass to school. However, today was different. I _felt _different. Confident.

I plugged in the iron and unzipped the small blue case that contained what little makeup I owned. Mom once claimed that I needed the "necessities" and took a trip to Rite Aid to get me said makeup. She came home a few hours later with eyeshadow primer, black eyeliner, brown mascara, an eyelash curler, which I was initially terrified of, I must admit, an eyeshadow palette, foundation, blush, and concealer. She was so proud of herself, I couldn't refuse it; so, I hid it in the blue bag and stuffed it in a drawer, not ever expecting to use it. Makeup was too much work, anyway.

I never thought I'd actually be grateful for my mom's purchases a year later. I hoped none of the makeup expired. Could makeup expire? I wasn't sure, but they were all still wrapped, I assumed they couldn't be too bad.

Half an hour later and many dirty tissues later, and I deemed myself presentable. My hair was glossy and straight instead of its usual state of disarray; I gave myself a pat on the back for figuring out how to use the eyelash contraption and for getting as close to the waterline as I could with the liner. I pranced out of the bathroom, still in good spirits, and quickly changed into my uniform, even putting on my favorite floral headband. I was even able to sit down and eat breakfast with Joshua, who looked as surprised as my mom did when they took in my appearance.

"Good morning, honey," Mom hesitated. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Yeah, Mom, I did. Good toast this morning, by the way," I replied while munching on french toast.

"I'm glad to hear that! How was work last night?" Mom sat down at the table with us. Joshua resumed eating his breakfast, resigned to the fact that I was acting like a loony this morning.

"It was quiet," I snickered to myself. Alice and Carmen were most _definitely _not quiet. "I mean, there weren't many customers. I think we'll be getting a rush, though, when Halloween comes closer," I informed her. She smiled back at me. I checked the time on the microwave. "I gotta go to school now," I added. I put my plate in the sink, ruffled Josh's hair, and kissed my mom on the cheek. "Be good, Josh; don't get into any trouble!" This was our inside joke- Joshua was the least problematic kid at his school. Mom laughed and shooed me out the door.

So, you know the weird feeling you get when you're somewhere between being creeped out, terrified, and anxious? Like when you're about to walk into a haunted house for the first time and you don't know what to expect, but know it can't be good? That's how I felt, walking through the halls of Mount Marcus Tuesday morning. Gone was my unusually good mood this morning- out the window and lost forever. I was left confused, and, well, the aforementioned emotion.

People were _talking _to me. I mean, no more glares and rude remarks. Apparently, it was _cool _now to approach me, to acknowledge my existence. I got at least ten "Hey, Isabella"s in a single minute, and it left me reeling. At that moment, James sidled up to me and plucked my backpack hanging off my shoulder.

"Hey there, Isabella. A pretty girl like you shouldn't have to carry this around." He grinned. His smile only served to terrify me. He looked down and I followed to gaze to see that I was still gripping the strap of the backpack. I stammered incoherently and let go of it. His smile faltered a little, but he kept walking down the hall. I followed behind him towards my calculus classroom and everyone's eyes followed me- no malicious expressions in sight. I shuddered. I'd once again entered the Twilight Zone.

I cautiously sat in my seat and was immediately greeted by Jane and Victoria's smiling faces.

There were so many things wrong with that sentence.

"So, Isabella..." Victoria drawled "...what are you doing this weekend?"

I flinched. Her perfume was engulfing me like a snake devouring a mouse. "Nothing special..." I trailed off.

"Well-" Jane leaned forward "-step daddy Aro's giving me the studio this weekend- do you want to join us for a photo shoot?" Jane's smile widened. "I think Santiago's free this weekend," Jane noted with a wink. I must have shown my confusion because Victoria explained, "he's our favorite photographer. He's also good for some naughty things." My nose twitched, but otherwise I didn't show how revolting that sounded to me. I simply nodded and turned toward the backpack that James had left on the ground next to my desk. Thankfully, class started and I didn't have to deal with the harpies... for now.

Thankfully, no one followed me from Calculous to AP Chemistry, probably because it was a long walk from the math department building on the west side of campus to the science building on the north side. I'd fled the classroom as soon as the bell rang- who knew it was so hard being popular? I snickered to myself at that- I wasn't popular; I was simply the "hot topic" because of the WMC's attention directed at me.

It felt like a waste of time, making the trek from the science building to the arts building- if my schedule was halfway decent, I would've had pottery before science and after math, seeing as the arts building was right next to the math building. I grumbled to myself, not for the first time that school year, but suddenly, there was someone next to me, keeping up with my brisk pace. I looked up and saw none other than Edward-filthy rich-Cullen smirking and strolling next to me. I automatically adjusted my blazer to make sure I looked somewhat worthy to be next to this god-like figure. Or so he wished to be, anyway. I smirked.

"So what brings you here, Cullen? I didn't know you were aware that there was such a thing as classes around here," I pointed out. He only chuckled. Darn, I was hoping that would evoke some kind of reaction. My inner self pouted.

"I'm just full of surprises, Isabella Swan," he answered cockily. I snickered at the cheesiness of his statement. "So, where are you heading to?" he asked. My eyebrows furrowed. Was he being... _amiable? _I was suspicious of his new affable attitude.

"I'm going to pottery class. And you?" He smiled deviously at this.

"Well, what a coincidence; so am I," he declared. My eyebrows shot up.

"Oh really?" I needed time to think. Maybe he was already signed up for the class, but he just never came? That must have been the reason why I'd never seen him in class. But then I remembered that he have to fulfill the art requirement. Something was fishy here because really, since when was Edward Cullen willing to get his hands dirty? I wanted to call him out on his lie, but decided to see how far we were going to get before he admitted that he actually didn't have class with me next. "Well, does that mean you're actually going to class today?" I inquired mockingly.

"Why of course, Isabella. Can't be missing class, now, can we?" he asked. We laughed because we both knew that he rarely attended class, if ever.

"Of course not," I replied, giggling. Wait, was I laughing _with _Edward Cullen? What a strange day.

We were already in the pottery studio now and sitting by two wheels with our aprons on, and he still hadn't said anything. Though I had to admit, it was entertaining watching him struggle to put on an apron while worrying about staining his expensive outfit.

But shit, did he switch his schedule for me? That was insane. Maybe he was just skipping his real class. I decided to just ask him.

"So, Cullen," I started. "Why are you in this class?" I fiddled with some clay, not looking him in the eye.

"What do you mean? I'm in this class," he argued. I laughed.

"Everyone knows you don't need to fulfill your art requirement. Is there a certain reason why you joined this class today?" I felt like I had the upper hand now.

"Well," he stuttered. "I...just... like...clay?" he asked. He was a terrible liar.

"Mmhm. So you just enjoy playing with dirt and water and getting it all over yourself?" I pointed at a splotch of clay on his cheek. His hand shot up to his face.

"What? I got it on my face? Where? How long has it been there?" he demanded. He tried to wipe it off, but forgot that his hands were dirty, so only got more clay on his face. I saw the pottery teacher laughing in my peripheral. I started laughing harder, almost falling off my seat.

"Just stop fidgeting for a moment and I'll help you out," I told him. I washed my hands in the sink and came back with a wet paper towel.

"Here, stay still..." I folded up the paper towel, crouched in front of him, and leaned towards his face. Wow I'd never gotten this close to him before. He looked just as perfect as he did from two feet away. I shook these thoughts and carefully started wiping away the dirt. His eyelids fluttered close for a brief moment before opening again, his blazing green eyes boring into mine. I was stunned for a moment from the intensity of his stare. My breath caught in my throat and I swore I stopped breathing. I realized my fingers were still on his cheek, and I suddenly flinched away from him, clearing my throat. "All done," I whispered.

Edward coughed, too, uncomfortable. His cheeks turned pink, and I did an internal happy dance because, _damn, _I was able to make him blush! "Yeah, um, thanks, Bella," he replied. My eyes widened when I heard him call me by my preferred name. No one here knew me as _Bella. _I never bothered correcting anyone, never saw a reason to. But now, hearing my name roll off his tongue, I felt like I was going to turn into a puddle on the pottery classroom floor. I blinked furiously, trying to regain my cool. I settled for a demure smile. He smiled back at me.

Before we knew it, class was over, and neither of us had gotten much work done on our pots. We'd spent the whole time playing with clay and talking about ourselves. Edward didn't reveal much, but I could tell that he was a pretty lonely guy with basically no family save for his surrogate brothers and his mother, Elizabeth, who he despised. In return, I told him about my family and how I admired my parents and how I worried constantly about Joshua because, as friendly as he was, he didn't have many friends, like me. It was weird how easily we could talk to each other, despite the enormous difference in our socioeconomic statuses. It was quite baffling. We both cleaned up and he even laughed about the dried clay on his pant leg. His laughter really was contagious; it was a good to see him with any expression other than displeasure or discontentment.

We stayed in the classroom during our break, simply chatting in the doorway, not willing to go outside and face the real world. When I checked my phone and noticed that we only had two minutes left until our elective block, I reluctantly told him we should get going.

"Let me walk you to your class- you have newspaper, right?" he asked while holding the door open for me. We walked up the hallway and out the door.

"Yeah, I have newspaper. How did you know?" I demanded.

"Well, I have it, too," he admitted. "I work for the sports column, I guess," he added, unsure. I giggled.

"Well, I work for current events. I'd say it's a little more sophisticated than sports, though." He turned toward me incredulously.

"You seriously think current events are more important than sports? Sports _are _current events! There are scientific breakthroughs in sports, too, which can change the whole world!" he smiled smugly. I shook my head at him. Boys. As we approached the main building, Edward spoke up. "Well, I was actually going to skip newspaper, since I'm not used to being at school for so long, but..." he hesitated "...I guess I can survive a few more hours." He grinned, and for some reason, I grinned back. _Maybe him staying had something to do with me?_ I dared to suggest. But then I remembered that he was the leader of the WMC and became suspicious again. It had to be too good to be true.

Cullen and I didn't have much interaction during newspaper, save for the occasional sly glance and smile. I was still baffled by his behavior. Maybe he was on some weird drugs that made him agreeable for once. I sighed and sat down at a table in the Dining Hall. Immediately, Irina slid in beside me and started apologizing for leaving me.

"I am _so _sorry, Isabella! I just couldn't let that happen to me, you know? I had to protect myself from them. I'm fresh meat, and I'm so weak, and they'll attack me any chance they get!" she rambled. I stopped her prattling.

"Whatever, Irina, I get it. Just... don't leave me to fend for myself, next time, ok?" I acquiesced. She nodded emphatically. Thankfully, no one else joined our table, and she prated about something regarding a shopping trip to New York, but I didn't pay any attention. My mind was elsewhere... like a certain bronze-haired deity with scorching green eyes that could make me melt into a puddle of goo. But I'd never tell him that, of course. A few times throughout lunch, I caught his eye; he was looking down at my table, and I was looking up at his. Each time, we grinned coyly and went back to eating, only to glance at each other again. It was so silly, I couldn't help but giggle under my breath. But Irina never noticed.

**Reviews (wow it's been so long since I've written it took almost three tries to type that word correctly!) only take a few seconds to write (and are a great belated birthday present)! **

**Every reviewer gets to wipe a smudge of clay from our Edward's face!**

**I'm looking at the weeks ahead of me and can't promise any regular updates. :( December is going to be hell month, and my work load is crazy. I'll do my best, I promise!**

**Have a lovely Thanksgiving week, my American friends!**

**Oh, and happy birthday Citrusandrain 28! Love you tons, babe!**


	11. Chapter 10: Your Innocence is Mine

**I'm curious to know how people are finding my story. Leave a review and tell me!**

_**I want to reconcile the violence in your heart**_

_**I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask**_

_**I want to exorcise the demons from your past**_

_**I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires from your heart**_

_**You trick young lovers that you're wicked and divine**_

_**You may be a sinner but your innocence is mine**_

_**Muse, Undisclosed Desires**_

**Disclaimer: I do own a lot of Twilight merchandise, but that doesn't mean I own Twilight, its plot, or its characters. If I did, Cameron Bright would have more than three lines in New Moon and Eclipse. In fact, he'd probably have a whole script for himself ;) Just sayin'. I don't own Hana Yori Dango of Saturday Night Live, either.**

_**Chapter nine left us with Bella forgiving Irina and Edward actually going to class. We're starting this chapter a mere few hours after Bella's lunch with Irina.**_

**Chapter Ten: Your Innocence is Mine**

**EPOV**

It was Tuesday night and I found myself sprawled across the velvety cushions in the common room of our penthouse suite in Blanely. It was just a normal night, keeping with my usual routine, with my usual shot glass reflecting the bright light overhead onto the glass coffee table.

But I was feeling anything but normal. My equilibrium was off kilter, and I felt like I was standing on a tight rope fifty feet off the ground without a pole to keep my balance; I was balanced on one foot and about to fall off the thin rope.

Unfortunately, Emmett noticed this; if that oaf detected my unusual behavior, I must really been wearing my emotions on my sleeve. Well, my tutors when I was younger taught me never to wipe my sleeve on anything, so that phrase was used in a metaphorical sense. I was surprised that Jasper hadn't brought up anything. He would have been a better alternative to Emmett.

"Yo, Edward," Emmett called out to me, hitting me with one of the cushions I'd been resting on. I didn't even bother to retaliate. "What's up with Swan now? You forgive her or something?"

"It's none of your business, Emmett McCarty," I replied, rolling over on the sofa, stretching out my tight muscles. I was badly in need of a massage.

"You're givin' us a bad rep, Cullen!" He threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, but he was smiling. "The whole school's going to think we've become softies now! We have a hard enough time covering up Jasper's laxness…" He trailed off, smirking in Jasper's direction. He looked up from his laptop and simply rolled his eyes at Emmett.

"I'm not going soft on you, Em; this is the first and only time this has happened." I tried my best to sound bored, but Emmett saw right through me. Damn, what was up with my inability to keep my emotions at bay?

"So what is _this _that's happening?" he waggled his eyebrows at me. "You and Isabella, huh?"

"Shut up, Em," I warned him. He simply laughed and stood up from his seat on the coffee table. He stole my shot glass and downed the drink inside. I didn't even know what was in it. Great, now I was even laying off the booze. Something was definitely wrong with me. Emmett sauntered across the suite, toward his bedroom, and turned around.

"So you like her?" he asked curiously, his hands on his hips. I simply stared at him, but he knew.

"Of course he does," Rosalie strolled into the room, purse in hand and still wearing her uniform. "He's smitten, turned on by competition," she added with a flick of her hair. I watched her in shock as she made her way to Emmett, kissed him on the cheek with a loud smack, and strutted over to the bar, swinging her hips provocatively for Emmett's enjoyment. His eyes bulged as he stood in front of his door drooling like a dog. I was momentarily distracted from my current distress by the hilarity that was cock blocked Emmett. It certainly didn't happen often. But what she said sunk in, and I became defensive.

"Rose, there's more to this than…" I started, but Rosalie being Rosalie, she didn't let me finish.

"No, Cullen, there's nothing more than you enjoying this new challenge," she purred, hopping on top of the bar. Jasper closed his laptop and effectively joined the conversation. "Let's face the facts: you're presented with this…girl. She's different; something new. She's poor and someone who is completely…" she hesitated, searching for the right words. "Not your type," she added reluctantly.

"She obviously hates your guts because you're unattainable and, well, an ass," she laughed softly to herself. "You like that you've met a girl who does something other than shoving their tits in your face. In fact, she even punched you. So, you _think _you like her, but it's just temporary; it's not even worth pursuing this relationship anyway, since it's not going to work out," she stated coldly. She turned around to face Jasper and he shook his head in my direction. Did that mean he didn't agree with her? I was going ask him later. I turned my attention back to Emmett as Jasper and Rosalie conversed about their parents and Thanksgiving plans; Rosalie's mother was a meticulous planner.

Emmett still stood leaning against his doorframe, gazing at Rose with a curious expression. I lay back down on the couch, surfing through the TV channels, and when I heard the door close, signaling Rosalie's departure, Emmett pounced.

"Hey Whitlock, why's your sister such a tease?" he deadpanned. Jasper laughed.

"She's just waiting for you to make a move, Em. You do all this flirting, but you never actually do anything about it. Don't tell her you got this from me, though," he held his hands up, grabbed his laptop, and escaped into his room with a "goodnight" over his shoulder. Emmett seemed to contemplate this for a while before nodding his head seriously, thoughtfully, and retreated into his room as well after clicking the lights off. I was left in the common room by myself, supported by plush pillows that caressed me; I was comfortable. Suddenly, the thought of going into my room seemed very unappealing, so I lay there, motionless, feeling bare under the intense glow of the TV. I felt oddly… naked. Stripped down.

I needed to know Isabella Swan. I wanted to strip her down and educate myself about her. And as that thought popped into my head, not once did I consider any sexual connotations. Which worried me. So I texted Jasper.

**Is Isabella worth it?**

**Worth what? **He answered quickly.

**All this…trouble. What Rosalie said about how this relationship is not worth pursuing. **

**Do what you think is best, but I still stand by my condition. Hurt her and I'll give you a black eye… **I sighed. Was it inevitable that I would hurt her? I powered down my phone and closed my eyes, eventually falling asleep to some music channel that I'd stopped at on the TV.

Saying that I'd overslept was an understatement. Not that it really mattered; my teachers weren't expecting me to go to class, anyway. But it was almost lunchtime and I was determined to get to know Isabella, so I got my ass off the couch and went into my room for the first time in twenty-four hours. Though I lived in the renowned Blanely Hall, where students had the freedom to decorate their rooms to their liking, my room was sadly nondescript. The colors were muted and safe. And I wanted to keep it this way.

Blanely wasn't my home. My home wasn't where Elizabeth lived, either; that was my _house. _I had no real family to determine my home. There was just me. So I never felt the need to, well, make myself at home here. I had a king-size bed pushed against the far wall and a desk that I never used just to the left of it. The only personal items in the room were on my desk: a framed picture of Emmett, Jasper, and me from freshman year, my laptop, some postcards from my friends' travels all around the globe, and a single novel, face up, but strategically hidden under the picture frame. These were the items that I wasn't able to part with for my life. My friends, my laptop, and my past. I shook off the dark thoughts and went into the walk-in closet, changing automatically.

It wasn't until I was walking out of the front doors of Blanely hall, taking in the bright sky, that I noticed that I was wearing my school blazer. I wasn't even aware that I owned it. It was too snug for my shoulders, which was extremely uncomfortable since I was used to perfectly tailored clothing. Whatever, I was only going to lunch anyways. I passed by the green house and the arts department some of the least frequented spots on campus. They happened to be my favorite. During freshman year, I thoroughly enjoyed living right next to the pools because of all the swimsuit-clad girls, but by sophomore year, I'd tired of that pastime. It got old, fast, since I had to watch the boys in speedos, too, which made me uncomfortable.

I entered the lunch hall and made a beeline for the staircase, but on my way there, I caught sight of Isabella sitting with that bitch, Irina. I still didn't forgive her for hitting me in the head with a damn soccer ball. There was also something about her that made me think of that 3OH!3 song, "Don't Trust Me." Don't trust a hoe, and all that. I ignored her big eyes following me across the room until I came to a stop in front of their table.

"Hello, Isabella, I have you're having a good lunch," I said, smiling in what I hoped was a friendly way. She startled and looked up at me wide-eyed, apparently not having noticed that I was there.

"Uh, yeah, I am… how are you?" she asked me, composing herself.

"I'm fine. Do you want to join me for lunch today? I think we're having steak sandwiches today," I asked, turning my back on Irina who was sitting across from Isabella to exclude her from the invitation.

"Well, yeah, sure; thanks," Isabella stuttered.

"I'll see you upstairs, then." I was up the stairs and seated before Isabella even started to gather her things. I chuckled; it was fun to catch her off guard.

Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie weren't surprised to see me at the table since it wasn't a rare occurrence for me to show up anywhere as I liked. However, after some kid took our drink orders, the table grew quiet, and I looked up from my Blackberry, giving them a quizzical look. Jasper's smile grew, but then faltered after a moment. I turned in my seat to see Isabella walking up the stairs, followed by Irina. What was the bitch doing here? Was my coldness toward her not subtle enough?

Isabella gave our table a shy smile when she reached the top step, and Emmett immediately greeted her.

"Hey there, Isabella! Are you sure you want to sit with this asshole?" he joked. I rolled my eyes at him, and he winked at me. Jasper stood up from his seat and pulled out a chair for Isabella, and I trained my eyes on Irina, who was standing there smiling like we were old friends. I quirked my eye at her.

"I don't remember inviting you up here," I noted, enjoying seeing her smile waver. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, and I shooed her with my hand. She slowly turned around and walked down the stairs. I tilted my chair back a little to see the crowd's reaction to this rejection. I wasn't disappointed as I saw that the entire cafeteria whispered about her walk of shame.

The whole time, Isabella was making conversation with my friends in the seat next to mine, but she glanced at me with her eyebrows furrowed. Thankfully, nobody said anything, but I could tell that Isabella was waiting until later to ask me about Irina.

I rejoined the conversation and tried to catch up on what they were talking about.

"So you're saying you don't have _any _Halloween plans?" Rosalie asked with a horrified tone.

"No, I don't. I usually just stay at home with my best friend and watch movies. I've always wanted to hand out candy, but since I live in an apartment, that's not really possible," she stated sadly. Rosalie took a bite of her sandwich- she usually opted for healthier food, unlike Emmett, Jasper, and me. Emmett was chowing down his steak sandwich that appeared while I was occupied with my exchange with Irina, while Jasper was carefully cutting his sandwich into pieces.

"So who's your best friend, Isabella? Do they go here?" I noticed that Jasper hadn't specified the gender of this friend. Maybe she had a male best friend. I unexpectedly became angered by this. What if she _did _have a boyfriend? What right did I have to say anything against it? I bit into my sandwich with unnecessary force, and steak sauce splashed onto my chin. I wiped it off and tried to tone down my emotions. Thank God Isabella didn't notice this, but Rosalie quirked her eyebrow at me.

"No, she doesn't," Isabella said, and I relaxed. Then I bristled, because why was I feeling so comforted by the fact that her best friend was a girl? "Her name's Alice, and she goes to Crawford High School. Well, technically, she's my co-worker, but we met at work. We both work at Carmen's bakery, which is here in Tacoma." Damn, I learned more about her in the last thirty seconds than in the day we spent talking yesterday. How did Jasper get her to talk?

"Crawford High? You mean the public school? I've never been there, but the girls are pretty slutty," Emmett remarked.

"Em," I growled. Was he insinuating that this Alice girl was a slut?

Emmett looked sheepish as he tried to correct himself. "Oh! I wasn't assuming your friend was a slut! I was just saying, from my experience…" he trailed off, giving her an apologetic look. She waved him off.

"No, I've met the girls there too, and yeah, I'm pretty scared of them. Well, frankly, I'm afraid of the girls here, too," she laughed. Rosalie leaned forward.

"Are you afraid of me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Isabella seemed to consider her answer for a few moments.

"Yes, I am terrified of you, Ms. Snowqueen. Don't you know the whole school is?" she replied honestly. Rosalie's eyes lit up for a instant before she got up from the table, not even finishing her salad.

"Good. I like you, Isabella. Stop by my room sometime," she said, touching Isabella's shoulder briefly. Isabella looked stunned. So did the whole table. Emmett laughed and clapped his hands together. Rosalie started walking down the stairs, and he called out to her.

"Hey, Rosie, wait up! I need to ask you something!" Emmett walked down the stairs with her, presumably to ask her out like Jasper suggested. I chuckled at his antics. Jasper looked amused.

"I'm confused. Are they actually a couple?" Bella asked curiously. Jasper and I shrugged.

"They tease, they flirt, but they don't really do anything about it," I told her. She nodded and played with the food on her plate. I cleared my throat.

"So, how's your day been?" I asked.

"It's been surprisingly…good," she hesitated. "People are nice to me, and I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that Jasper," she looked at him as she spoke, "is like, my guardian angel." He smiled at this. I frowned. I didn't know their relationship was that good.

"Yeah, probably," he admitted, and they smiled at each other. I felt really out of the loop.

"Hey, Edward, I didn't see you in pottery or newspaper today," she had a strange twinkle in her eye when she said this. "What were you doing, sleeping in?" she laughed to herself.

I chuckled self-consciously. "Hah, no, of course not." Isabella let out a laugh that seemed to come from her stomach… did people call this a belly laugh? I stared at her in wonder. She looked back at me, appearing to feel self-conscious. Jasper stood up from the table.

"I think it's time for me to get to class," he announced. Melancholy washed over me when I realized that I had to part with Isabella. I sighed and stood up.

"So are you coming to at least one class of not?" Isabella asked, gathering her backpack from the ground and slinging it over her shoulder. I couldn't help but notice that her blazer was a little bulky for her small frame. That needed to be fixed; it couldn't be comfortable. What was _I, _now, her _guardian angel?_

"I don't think I even know what class I have…" I answered.

"Oh! You have English with me," she stated cheerfully. I couldn't believe my luck; I didn't even have to change my schedule or sneak into classes unannounced to be with her.

"Well, then, we should go together, because we have the class together and, uh…" I didn't want her to know that…

"…and you don't know where the class is?" she said playfully.

"Of course, it's in the English department. I'd be an idiot not to know that," I defended myself. She looked at me skeptically but shook her head.

"By all means, lead the way, then, Mr. Cullen," she teased.

"I'll see you guys later, then," Jasper saluted us and walked down the stairs before us. I signaled for Isabella to follow me, and I walked ahead of her as we descended the staircase.

**JPOV**

I hummed to myself while I crossed the dining hall, smirking a little at the stares that followed Edward and Isabella who were a couple steps behind me. Edward was most likely not aware of the attention he was receiving, but I was almost a hundred percent sure that Isabella was squirming under the intense stares from her peers. I scanned the dining hall to see if there was someone who _wasn't _gaping, and my eyes rested on Irina, at a table by herself. She had a murderous look in her eyes that almost made me stop in my tracks. What was her problem? When she caught me staring at her, though, her face transformed into a sickly sweet smile. I gave her one last glance and sauntered out the door. This was some new information; Irina didn't like Isabella being with Edward, but why? I wished she had friends I could talk to- her glare was actually frightening. But for now, I just passed it off as jealousy; who knew exactly how many girls here pined after Edward? Irina was probably one of them.

But I was still worried about Irina and Isabella's relationship.

**EPOV**

Isabella seemed like a different person than the one I'd declared war on. The little bit of sun that shone through the clouds highlighted the red in her hair and her pearly white teeth when she smiled. She smiled a lot, actually. Considering I wasn't a very pleasant person to be around, this came as a surprise to me.

She eased up around me, but then again, we were only talking about easy topics. At the moment, we were discussing the latest _Saturday Night Live _skits. Neither of us watched much TV- I only surfed the channels when I didn't feel like dealing with anything. We found that we both made an exception for SNL and its dirty humor.

"Did you watch Taylor Swift's monologue? I'm not really a fan, but her monologue song…" she started laughing, and I stared at her, captivated. "I couldn't stop laughing for a good five minutes!" I really wanted to hear her laugh again, so I quickly thought of something that might be funny.

"I like glitter and sparkly dresses, but I'm not going to talk about that," I started singing with as high a voice as I could manage.

"In my monologue!" she finished for me. We both laughed. Before I knew it, we were in the English department building, and Isabella suddenly stopped in her tracks. I was about to ask what was wrong, but she gave me a serious face.

"So, you claim to know where our class is," she reminded me. I blanched, but quickly composed myself. I strode down the hallway, expecting to see placards on each door, but only found names of donors who paid for the building. I scratched my head in annoyance and frustration. _Fuck, _there was even a second floor! What was I supposed to do, pop into each class? Then I realized that I could text Jasper; he wouldn't give me hell like Emmett for not knowing where my fucking class was.

"Want to call up a friend?" Isabella teased. I turned around and was about to make a snarky comment, but she just rolled her eyes and went to stand in front of a door I'd already passed. Not only was I frustrated, but I was also… embarrassed. That was new.

I mustered up some dignity and wrenched the door open, making Isabella jump back. I gave her a small apology for startling her and we both went into the room, her walking in front of me. When we sat in adjacent seats in the back of the classroom, everyone turned in their seats to stare at us; we were late, but the teacher wasn't about to get mad at _me._ And, by association, he couldn't reprimand Isabella. I sat back in my seat, quirking my eyebrow at Mr. Berty, daring him to say something. He didn't; smart man. I winked at Isabella, and she gave me an exasperated look. We didn't talk the rest of class, but we passed notes.

I couldn't follow the material, since I'd never bothered doing the reading, so I decided to play a game with Isabella. I wrote the first question on a fresh page in her notebook, sliding it toward me as I wrote.

**Siblings?**

I slid her notebook back on her side of the table. She grinned and wrote in it.

**Yeah, a brother. You? **

I found myself feeling jealous that she had a sibling.

**No. What's your brother's name? How old is he?**

**Joshua, and he's fifteen, a freshman. Just put me in an interrogation room with bright fluorescent lights, why don't you?**

I laughed at her comment, which earned me a few looks.

**Trust me, I would much rather be doing that than listening to Berty take out his frustration passive aggressively through teaching. **

She was better at hiding her laughter with coughs than I was, so no one turned around this time.

"Wanna ditch this class?" I whispered in her ear. She stopped breathing for a few moments, and I became worried. Was she that prudish about attending class? "Are you okay, Isabella?" I whispered, and she relaxed her clenched fists.

"Oh, yeah. No, I was late to class; I don't need to make Mr. Berty upset by leaving his class abruptly!" she whispered back to me. I was close enough to smell her hair, which was an appealing mixture of citrus and honeysuckle. It reminded me of my one true home, my happy place… I sighed.

I tolerated another three minutes of Berty's rambling, but couldn't take it anymore.

"Now I know what I've been missing the last two months of school," I said sarcastically, leaning toward Isabella. "If you're okay with being subject to Berty's monologues, by all means, stay, but I think I'm done here." I stood up abruptly and walked down the aisle, heading for the door.

I had to admit that I was a little disappointed when Isabella didn't follow me out. I headed for the front door, but turned around when I heard quick footsteps echoing down the wooden hallway. I couldn't help the wide smile that spread across my face when Isabella caught up to me. She folded her arms across her chest.

"You could have at least given me a little warning, Edward," she huffed.

I ignored her statement. "Please tell me you gave him a little attitude when you left the room," I chuckled.

"Hah! No, I asked him if I could use the little girl's room," she replied.

"Good girl," I practically cooed at her. She smiled up at me and we left the building together. I was sure I'd just created a new Mount Marcus rebel.

**For every review, Renesmee's hair grows an inch. Okay, icky, I know…**

**I warned you guys about the lack of updates! However, I'm endeavoring to write a TON during the holidays! Some love for my first 4000+ word chapter? **

**Thanks again to cruiz107 for her kind ass kicking **


	12. Chapter 11: Under the Surface

**Hey thur, friends! Hope y'all had a great Christmas weekend, to those who celebrate it, and to those who don't, I hope you had a great weekend. **

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! (And the many people who alerted TWotRaP! Best Christmas presents in my inbox ever!) I know a lot of you have been asking for Isabella to stand up to Cullen (God, I have a hard time not typing "Bella"), and here is a little sample of it! : )**

**So, this is THE CHAPTER I'VE BEEN WAITING TO WRITE SINCE I STARTED WRITING THIS STORY. (Well, this **_**and **_**the next chapter) It's the first summary I wrote for my outline, and I'm just so excited to see how you guys like it. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, the modern "vampire" wouldn't be expected to sparkle, according to tweens and teens. No copyright infringement is intended. I don't own Hana Yori Dango (Boys over Flowers) or any references to pop culture.**

**I'm strong on the surface,**

**Not all the way through.**

**I've never been perfect**

**And neither have you**

**Linkin Park, Leave Out All the Rest**

**Chapter Eleven: Under the Surface**

**BPOV**

Rosalie sat down at our table, but the conversation didn't falter.

Yes, I did just say _our _table.

Over the last nine days, I'd become a regular WMC lunchtime guest. It was a weird transition at the very least, yet a surprisingly fluid one. School had a whole new meaning; I wore a little makeup and even straightened my hair some days. I was putting effort in something other than my work and studies.

I was someone.

I felt real.

I learned more about Emmett, Edward, Jasper, and Rosalie every day I sat at the VIP table.

Rosalie was a varsity softball player. She didn't really talk about it, but she often practiced during lunch, so I was usually the only girl at the table. When she did join us, though, Emmett was funnier than he usually was, probably because he was trying to impress her. Apparently she rejected his date invitation last week because he wasn't "romantic enough or shit," in Emmett's words. He did tend to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, as his verbal filter apparently broke at a very young age, according to Jasper.

One thing I didn't understand was Rosalie and Emmett's delicate relationship. Each was too stubborn, it seemed, to actually give romance a shot. It was surprising, since Emmett didn't have a problem with any of the other girls at school. But Rosalie was unique. She was teasing one moment and absolutely silent and aloof the next, not unlike her brother. Except he was quiet most of the time.

I learned that she was quite judgmental. She assumed the worst of people initially, but gradually formed an opinion of them. Cullen told me that she never warmed up to anyone as fast as she did to me, when she'd invited me to hang out with her sometime the very first day I sat in the VIP section. Hell, she even said she liked me, which was unheard of, given Rosalie's ice-queen status.

But she wasn't quite friendly the first couple of days. She wasn't antagonizing, but kept her distance, almost like she was God on judgment day, determining if I was good or bad. By the beginning of this week, her demeanor was less aloof and more curious. She asked me a lot of questions about myself, and I noticed that Cullen was listening in to our conversations; he wasn't very subtle. He leaned towards me, though he kept his eyes on Jasper or Emmett. Sometimes he slipped up and ended up staring at me. My answers were more for the sake of Edward than for Rosalie.

I observed that Jasper liked to order cranberry sauce with all his meals. Sometimes, he even ordered cranberry juice along with the sauce. I began to wonder if he was afraid of getting a urinary tract infection. I heard cranberries were supposed to prevent those.

Emmett was definitely not what I'd expected him to be like. Sure, he was bulky and intimidating and a major flirt, but he also had a great sense of humor, was intensely loyal to his friends, and was very passionate. I noticed that he tried to tone down his personality and hide behind a buff façade when he interacted with other people, especially the WMC minions, in order to be taken seriously. Every single lunch, he never failed to steal something from the lunch my mom packed for me, and swore that he was going to marry her someday. Once, Edward joked that, "older women are Jasper's thing, haven't you heard?" but the joke was lost on me. I knew he didn't do the dating thing, but wasn't aware that he actually was _into _older girls.

I still brought lunch from home, partly because I took pride in Emmett's appreciation of my mom's cooking, and partly because I wanted to remind myself who I was- a poor girl attending a very rich and prestigious school who somehow made it into the elite crowd; this wasn't naturally my scene, but I was enjoying it while it lasted. They were going to surely tire of my presence soon and see me who I really was. A commoner.

Lastly, Edward was the king of mixed signals. He walked me to a few of my classes so far, but only attended the class if he was in a particularly good mood. He wasn't a huge fan of pottery, but it was the best class to socialize in. I still wasn't sure if he was actually in the class of not, either.

Last week was the only occasion he went to English, though. I was sure Mr. Berty was glad for this riddance.

We never had a truly open conversation; all our exchanged seemed superficial, probably because we were tip-toeing around each other, especially the issue about our "war." I felt like I learned more about him through his unconscious behavior than from anything he said. For a guy who used his voice often to show authority, he wasn't a great conversationalist. Again, that might have had to do with the huge elephant in the room; we were supposedly enemies.

So, imagine my surprise when Mr. Edward Cullen, master of mixed signals himself, stopped abruptly on our way from the dining hall to the English department and, out of nowhere, said, "hang out with me today, after school."

My initial reaction was to laugh. Was I supposed to be offended that he didn't ask me, but rather commanded me to, what? Go out with him?

He immediately bristled and had a serious look on his face that made me shut up instantly.

"Sorry, were you serious?" I asked him carefully.

"Do I look like I'm trying to be funny, Isabella?" No, sir. Crap. I decided to tease him a little, maybe even do some damage on his ego.

"Hm…" I pretended to think about his request. I spoke slowly. "So, like a date?" I looked up from under my lashes.

He tensed and looked unsure of himself, but then gave an abrupt laugh, looking around cockily, and replied, "Well, if you insist, then I guess it could be. I mean, I don't usually go out with girls like you, but I guess I can make an exception."

My eyes widened at his statement and I lifted my eyebrows. "Why, Mr. Cullen, I'm _so _flattered," my words dripped with sarcasm as I said this, "that you are willing to make an exception." I smiled sweetly. I could practically taste the sarcasm that coated my lips. "But I think I'm going to have to decline, because I don't usually date cocky assholes who expect me to follow all their orders. My apologies," I said, continuing to walk towards my class. I knew his recent nice-guy behavior was too good to be true. Though I felt triumphant at being able to tell him off, I still felt a little sad. He wasn't actually a half-bad person when he tried to be decent.

Cullen sidled up to me, his long legs easily keeping up with my brisk pace. He huffed and stuffed his hand into his infamous locks of hair, combing through them.

"Hey! Who do you think you are, calling…" He sighed and grabbed my arm, stopping me before I entered the building. The hairs on my arms, though covered by my blazer, prickled under his touch, and my body felt warm from this simple gesture. His expression turned apologetic.

"I didn't mean that. I swear, I'm just, uh… you know…" he let go of my arm and shoved his hands into his pants pockets, his gaze settled above my head, squinting at the dim sunlight. I crossed my arms and quirked an eyebrow at him, daring him to continue. He winced.

"I've never really had to ask a girl out before," he muttered. I sighed. Maybe I was a little hard on him. He was used to reacting defensively; he couldn't help it. "I guess, what I meant to ask was do you want to go out with me after school today? You know, typical Friday night date?" He looked adorably lost, with his furrowed eyebrows and hands stuffed in his pockets. I decided to put him out of his misery.

"Not above teenage clichés, are you?" I joked, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. "What are we going to do, see a horror movie and share a popcorn while you put your arm around my shoulders during the scary parts?" I laughed. He smirked then, and Cullen was back.

"Why would I sit in those cheap, uncomfortable theater seats where little kids have probably wet themselves? Maybe even some grandpas, too," he chuckled, once again the cocky billionaire heir.

"Do you know how expensive movie tickets are nowadays?" I scoffed. "Then, where do you watch movies, Mr. Too-good-for-movie theaters?" I tilted my head at him, genuinely curious.

"The movies come to me, of course. Before they hit theaters," he smiled broadly. I gasped. What a life these people led… "So, are you coming with me or not?" he demanded, serious again. I grinned and shyly nodded my head at him, clutching my backpack strap, needing to hold onto something. He nodded back, trying to act cool, but he couldn't stop the grin that spread over his face, his moss green eyes luminous, and suddenly he looked younger, more carefree. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped, warmth spreading inside my stomach. I was able to make him happy, even for a moment.

Edward nodded again to himself and, still smiling, told me, "I'll meet you right here after class, then. Good luck with Berty," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes.

"Mr. Berty's not _that _bad, Cullen," I countered. I knew Mr. Berty liked me, especially when he gave me that encouraging wink during class the day I decided that I was going to face the WMC.

"Whatever. He's just a frustrated eternal bachelor," he deadpanned. I gasped and giggled, punching him in the arm. How classy; now I felt like a floozy, doing anything to touch him. I had to keep my hands to myself. I checked the time on my phone, just realizing that we'd been out here, alone, for what felt like an eternity.

"Shit! You've made me late for the third time this quarter, Cullen! God dammit!" I wrenched open the door and started skittering down the hall, being careful not to slip and fall flat on my face. I just scored my first date in my high school career; I wasn't going to make him regret it. I heard his laughter echo down the hall, and I rushed into the classroom, immediately going to the empty table in the back row.

It didn't feel as lonely now, sitting alone. I could still feel the warmth that filled me when I made Cullen was happy. I felt responsible for his emotions, somehow.

I dropped my backpack onto the unoccupied seat adjacent to mine and picked out my notebook. I'd saved our "interrogation room" notes from last week in the clear plastic folder in the front of my notebook. I was tempted to reread them, but knew I had to pay attention this class to make up for my ditching last class. I felt guilty, then, feeling like I'd like Mr. Berty down.

I was more than excited for my first date tonight- I was determined to get to know the real Edward Cullen; not the heir, but the eighteen-year-old boy who hid behind this authoritative shell of a person to… what? Make up for the lack of power he had in choosing his own future? I'd read somewhere that he was destined to follow in his mother, Elizabeth Cullen's footsteps. Those were some shoes to fill.

I tried my damndest to pay attention during this lecture, but it was my last period on a Friday, and it proved to be harder and harder every minute to take notes. I began to doodle in a page in my notebook, and when the bell finally rang, signaling the start of the weekend, I noticed that I'd drawn the yin and yang sign. _In darkness, there is always light. _I could only hope that this applied to Edward.

I practically skipped out of the class while Mr. Berty, among others, gave me a curious look.

As promised, Edward was standing outside the building, just wearing artfully torn dark jeans that hung low on his hips, held up by a leather belt, and a light blue button down shirt, of course, with the top four buttons unfastened. Folded over his arm was a more casual-looking blazer than he normally wore.

Frankly, he was one of the sexiest things I'd ever seen. I must have been standing in front of the building's door, gaping, for longer than was appropriate, because Cullen smirked, the left corner of his mouth lifting up, as if to say, "Yes, I am in fact aware that I am indeed looking completely fuckable at the moment." His hair had some gel in it that made his hair shine more than usual. It was styled subtly, but messily, so it was like he just naturally looked like a god on Earth.

I forced my jaw muscles to cooperate with me and closed my gaping mouth, unsteadily walking over to where he stood. I could see groups of girls whispering and staring at him. I didn't blame them. No matter how tough I pretended to be, I wasn't immune to his remarkableness, either. He could make an old prude a minx in seconds. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Am I going to go out looking like _this?_" I asked, struggling to not stare too long at his lean, well-maintained body.

"It'll have to do for now," he answered. He turned around and led me through the main building and out to the front of the school, where a sleek black Jaguar was idling. A man wearing a suit walked out from the driver's side of the car and opened the back door for us. Cullen allowed me to enter first, probably so he wouldn't have to slide rather than doing it because it was a gentlemanly thing to do. I couldn't complain, though, because the seat was comfortably warm and cushy. I hummed in contentment. He glanced at me curiously, but I only shook my head at him and smiled. He probably didn't understand, because he was so used to these luxuries.

The windows were heavily tinted, and I could barely see outside.

"So, where are you taking me?" I asked as the driver handed us each a glass of sparkling water. Ooh, fancy.

"It's a secret." He cocked his eyebrow and took a sip from his glass.

"What? I don't get to know where I'm going? How do I know you're not trying to kidnap me?" I was a little miffed. I hated surprises. Mom always told me that my curiosity was going to get me into trouble one day.

"Do you have a problem with that? I could just let you off right here," Cullen responded, the twinkle in his eye telling me that he wouldn't really do that. If I were to be honest, I wouldn't have been surprised if he did let me off on some random street. He was unpredictable. I huffed and sat back in my seat.

An hour flew by and we were still in the car. My butt was a little too warm for my liking and I fidgeted a lot, from being too warm and from being nervous. _Where the hell was this guy taking me?_

To my right, Cullen looked smug as ever, happily texting on his Blackberry. I had half a mind to grab it from him and throw it out the window. Damn did I get peeved when it came to surprises. Good thing no one ever tried to throw me a surprise party.

But the waiting was the worst part. I needed to know our destination. I glared at Cullen, but he only grinned back at me. I huffed again for what felt like the millionth time.

"Isn't it considered rude to be texting during a date?" I muttered. He chuckled and put his phone in his pocket.

"Well, you're not being very good company, just sitting there, brooding and huffing. I'm still not telling you were we're going," he said. "Besides, we're almost there," he added.

I sighed in relief and shifted on the seat, no longer feeling oppressed and uncomfortable.

The car came to a stop and the driver went out of his door to open ours. My eyes adjusted to the sunlight that glinted off windows and buildings. _Wait, what?_

All around me, people were bustling on the streets and tourists were strolling on the sidewalks, pretending to know where they were going. I gasped.

"Seattle?"

"I haven't been in the city for awhile, so I thought I'd bring you here for a good dose of the city life," he explained, shrugging. We'd been dropped off on Pine Street. Cullen started walking down the street and I jogged to catch up with him, still in shock that he'd taken me to the freaking city. I honestly didn't know what I expected, seeing as the car ride was incredibly long, but this certainly wasn't it.

"Where are you going? Do you know where you're going?" I demanded, finally catching up to him.

"Of course I do. Just follow me." He looked at me with an expression that told me not to mess with him. I sulked a little, and started playing with the thumb of my left hand. It became a habit of mine when I was anxious or irritated ever since I learned that it was double jointed when I was little. My eye twitched.

Cullen and I walked in silence, side by side, for a few minutes. I realized that my irritation had nothing to do with being angry with Edward. It was just a way that I coped with the situation. And in this case, I was simply shocked. Why did he bring me here, exactly? I was about to voice this question when Cullen stopped in front of a pair of gilded double doors, pulling one of them open for me to pass through.

I hadn't been paying attention to where we were going, but apparently Cullen actually did have a plan. He strode up to the employee manning the register, and she immediately perked up, rolling her shoulders back to stand up tall.

"Welcome to Barneys New York, Mr. Cullen. How may we help you today?" she asked brightly. Wait, _Barneys? _Was he going to make me shop with him? I thought this was supposed to be a date.

"I'm going to need an outfit for the lady," he waved his hand, beckoning me to step forward from behind him. "Can you get someone to find her a semi-formal dress, shoes, and a jacket?" I simply stood there, gaping. Cullen never ceased to surprise me.

"Of course, sir! May I offer you something to eat or drink while you're waiting?" she inquired attentively. Cullen shook his head and turned to me. The cashier called up some employees to help with the task of dressing me.

Hah, Cullen was already expecting me to resist. I steeled myself.

"I wasn't aware it was my birthday. Why are you doing this?" I demanded him.

"Well, I can't be seen with a girl wearing… _that_" he snorted, showing his disdain for the school uniform.

"You could have dropped me off at home so I could change. What am I going to do with this outfit after today? Give it back to you for the next girl?" I scoffed.

"You're insulting me. Of course you'll keep it, Isabella. Now stop wasting my time and get changed." He dismissed me and sat down on a sofa, flipping out his Blackberry and making a call. I huffed.

"You're incorrigible, Cullen," I whisper-yelled at him, and he only rolled his eyes. Right then, a woman dressed impeccably in a navy blue skirt and ivory blouse approached me. Her form-fitting dress shirt and skirt emphasized her curves, and her green-hazel eyes seemed to sparkle with the smile that graced her lips. I was instantly filled with jealousy; she had a kind of confidence that I would never be able to possess. She touched my arm and led me towards the dressing room.

"My name is Amy, and I'll be helping you with your outfit today, Ms. Swan," she informed me. How did she know my name? Her smile never faltered as she showed me to a large dressing stall.

"I'm not quite sure what you are looking for, but I've picked out a few dresses, so when you choose one, we can plan the rest of the outfit from there," she suggested. I nodded in assent. "Perfect! I'll be standing out here, so let me know if you need any assistance!" she enthused.

I closed the door and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I looked flustered, and my dark hair wasn't straightened, so it was a little frizzy, waving around my shoulders and ending at around my ribs. I sighed. I wished he'd asked me out a few days prior so I could at least look, well, _ready _for my first date.

I robotically reached for the first dress on the rack. There were only five dresses in total, and all ended above the knees. Most of them were some form of strapless. This was going to be interesting.

I ended up stopping my search at dress number two. I loved the way it made my chest look bigger and my waist smaller. It was short and simple, but not too short. If I wore a jacket over it, it was would look pretty modest. Well, and it wasn't as expensive as the rest of the dresses. Amy seemed determined to stretch Cullen's credit card. I just felt guilty for making him pay for my clothes.

I left the dressing room wearing dress number two to show Amy. Her eyes lit up and she nodded fervently.

"Yes! I knew you were going to like that one!" Then she seemed to collect herself, blushing. I laughed. "I think that would look great with a leather jacket to make it look a little more casual," she muttered to herself. "I will be right back, Ms. Swan." She left the dressing room, and I took the time to admire myself some more. The lights in the room really brought out my best features, and I wished I could have them shining on me all the time so I could look more attractive. I snickered at how petty that sounded, even in my head.

Amy stepped back into the room, which was empty except for the two of us. Her smile was almost a smirk.

"Mr. Cullen asked me what color your dress is so he could pick out a pair of shoes for you," she smirked like she was sharing some good gossip with me. "I told him you're wearing a little black dress, except more casual. I also suggested that you'd look good in heels, if that's alright," she stated, holding up a short brown leather jacket for my inspection and approval. I gawked and swallowed instinctively. Heels were my kryptonite. But I nodded at her anyway, not wanting to go against her expertise.

"So, what do you think about this jacket? It's a cropped leather jacket, so I thought it would look better than one that went to your hips," she explained. Well, all leather jackets looked the same to me, and this one was pretty, so I nodded in agreement. She handed it to me so I could try it on.

Damn, the outfit looked good. It looked like something I would find in a magazine. I beamed at my reflection and Amy giggled.

"I'll go see if Mr. Cullen has your shoes," she said over her shoulder, once again leaving me by myself.

She came back empty handed, but was accompanied by a gorgeous, leggy blonde wearing a skirt similar to hers, but she had a cardigan over a sequined top. Her light blue eyes assessed my appearance quickly and she swiped her bangs away from her face.

"Hello, Ms. Swan. I'm Sydney, and I will also be helping you with your… _appearance_," she chuckled a little at the end. I tilted my head in confusion. I already had an outfit; what else did I need? She sensed my confusion and explained herself.

"Courtesy of Barneys, of course. Amy and I will be giving you a mini-makeover for your date." She smiled deviously. "You could also call it a surprise for Mr. Cullen," he added. I was once again in shock. A makeover?

Sydney brought out a makeup palette that must have been her own while Amy produced a bottle of what seemed to be hairspray. I slowly backed away from them.

"That's really nice of you, but it's unnecessary. I can go out like this…" But my argument sounded weak even to myself. Sydney quirked an eyebrow at me and I relented.

"We don't have much time, Ms. Swan, so I'll just be giving your hair some volume," Amy stated. I nodded at her. "Can you whip your hair around?" she asked me, and we both laughed.

"I guess so," I chuckled, rolling my eyes. I bent over and whipped my hair around, channeling my inner Willow Smith as Amy sprayed my hair. She told me to stop after a few seconds, and I steadied myself against the mirror. Wow, was I dizzy.

While Amy made my hair settle down, Sydney applied concealer and blush and a little bit of golden brown eye shadow to my lids to "give them more definition." She announced every time she was using a new product to make sure I was all right with it.

Once, Amy admonished Sydney, saying, "Sydney! Stop smudging the eyeliner like that! We're going for natural, not Annalynne McCord!" And I laughed at that. These two were awesome. They reminded me a little of Alice, a little bossy but good-natured; Sydney definitely could have passed as Rosalie's sister.

Ten minutes later, the duo completed their "makeover." I turned around to see a girl in the mirror with wide, dark eyes framed by thick black lashes and flushed cheeks. Her lips were coated in a nude colored lip gloss that made her eyelids pop with color. Her hair was clipped up in a half-up-half-down hairstyle and her brown hair was no longer dull, but full and wavy. Her mouth was in an O shape.

That girl was Isabella Swan, and she was technically on a date with Edward Cullen, heir to Cullen Hotels, Inc.,also known as Mr. Fuckhot-sex-on-legs-world-class-asshole. I guessed that girl was me. Sydney and Amy, who stood behind me in my reflection, looked very satisfied with their work. I hugged each of them.

"I can't thank you enough!" I exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. And I wasn't even wearing my shoes yet. They embraced me back and flanked me on either side as we strutted out of the room. "_Hello, confidence" _echoed in my head like a line in a Victoria's Secret bra commercial.

Edward had just ended a phone conversation when he looked up at us from his seat on the sofa. His eyes widened, and I knew it wasn't from the two gorgeous salesladies on either side of me. His eyes were trained on my body alone, drinking in Amy and Sydney's masterpiece. His lips slowly turned up into a smile.

Standing up, he walked until he was standing in front of me. He leaned into me as my new favorite people went to the cash register to ring up the purchases and to give us some privacy.

"You look stunning, Isabella," he whispered into my ear, his breath tickling my cheek. He placed his hand on the small of my back and led me to the sofa he'd just vacated. I sat down, but he crouched in front of me, pulling a shoebox out from under the sofa.

Undoing the straps to each shoe first, he took off my worn mary janes and tossed them to the side. Then, he unclasped the tiny buckles on each shoe in the shoebox. They were gray pumps with a mesh material covering a part of the toes. He eased the pumps onto each of my feet, buckling them back up when they were in place.

I stared at him the entire time, in utter awe. Crouched before me, he reminded me of the prince returning the glass slipper to Cinderella. He was an asshole, but somehow I knew there was something deep inside him, a part of him that was untouched by the evils of the world. I wanted to know this part of him, and I could die trying for all I cared.

All these intense feelings left me speechless. When he looked up at me, I released a breath that I didn't realize I was holding. There were some powerful emotions swimming in his jade eyes as well, and we simply stared each other, lost in our own thoughts.

My feet never felt so loved.

He cleared his throat and broke our gaze, standing upright. He held his hand out to me and I unsteadily stood on my new heels. They were more comfortable than I'd expected, and I easily cleared Edward's shoulders height-wise. He kept me steady as we walked over, hand-in-hand, to the counter once more.

"I hope you find Ms. Swan's appearance to your liking," Amy said, smiling at both of us as the cashier typed on her computer.

"It'll have to do," he responded, but the tone of his voice made it clear that he was kidding. Amy beamed back at him. The cashier handed him a receipt and his glossy black credit card.

"Thank you for shopping at Barneys New York, Mr. Cullen. Have a wonderful day," she chirped. Amy gave me a last hug.

"I hope to see you soon, Isabella," she told me, and handed me a separate bag with my uniform in it. "_He _insisted that you have new shoes for school, so they're in here, too," she whispered. I glanced down into the bag, and sure enough, my old mary janes were gone, replaced with shiny new leather ones.

I thanked her for all her help. God knew how I would have looked had not Sydney and Amy intervened. As I turned away from her, I saw in my peripheral vision Edward slipping Amy a few folded bills, whispering something to her. Sydney appeared at the door to hold it open for us and Edward handed her some money too. I wasn't aware that he carried cash with him. I thought rich people only carried plastic money with them.

We walked side by side for a few minutes as I enthused about Amy and Sydney. If he was bored, he didn't show it. He listened to me and laughed when I informed him that Sydney almost made me look too _sultry._

"I wish I could've seen that," he laughed. The Jaguar was waiting for us at the corner again and we slipped inside. I sighed.

"If I had the money, I would go to that Barneys regularly. They're surprisingly nice there. Maybe it's just because you're rich," I mused. Edward shook his head next to me.

"Despite being stubborn and obviously having no sense of caution, you're a likeable person, I guess," he conceded. I was astonished at his admission.

"My, Edward Cullen, did you just _compliment _me?" I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. He shrugged and laughed uncomfortably.

"It's true. It's not the money, Isabella. Well, not in this case, anyway. I'm sure they genuinely wanted to make you look pretty." He looked at me then and scanned me head to toe again. "They did a pretty damn good job, I have to say," he confessed. My cheeks warmed up at his second compliment in as many minutes. What happened to the jerk I'd gotten used to? He didn't need to come back; I was happy with this Edward. He sighed then, and he looked away when I glanced at him. Strange.

There was only a minute of silence before the car pulled over again. This time, Edward helped me out of the car. He probably knew I was going to trip out of the car without assistance.

I immediately recognized where we were. "Pike's Place Market? I haven't been here in so long!" I enthused. We were about to descend the hill, and the glittering water ahead of us was breathtaking. As soon as I felt the decline, I stumbled a little, but Edward caught my waist just in time. My skin hummed under his touch.

"Maybe this isn't the best idea…" he hesitated, but then grinned mischievously as an idea struck him. Before I knew it, I was scooped up in his sturdy arms and rocked a little with each step he took down the hill. I gave a little yelp and threw my arms around his neck.

"What do you think you're doing?" I screeched, feeling overwhelmed by the sensation that filled me from being held like this, bridal style.

"Well, I didn't think you'd like a piggy-back ride, since your dress is that short," he explained, eyeing me outfit again. "And I can't have you tumbling down this hill head-first in public. I'm just ensuring that neither of us are going to be embarrassed," he reasoned, looking straight ahead.

"Embarrassed? _Embarrassed? _You don't call you carrying me down this hill embarrassing? Because _I _do! Everyone's staring!" I exclaimed, hitting him in his hard chest, but he didn't budge; he snorted.

"Are you trying to fight me every step of the way, Isabella? All you're doing is getting yourself all riled up. But I have to admit it's cute when you're frustrated and embarrassed," he whispered into my ear, making me shudder. Damn, that boy could make me concede to just about anything. I didn't complain the rest of the way down.

He let me down at the bottom of the hill, but maintained contact with my skin by letting his arm brush mine every once in awhile as we walked down the road.

"Are you hungry? It's almost five; we could get a snack." He turned toward me to see my reaction. I nodded. "I could eat," I told him.

He led us to a small French style bakery that had a long line despite it being too late for lunch and too early for dinner. We waited our turn, and Edward made some suggestions for what I should eat. By the time we'd reached the cash register, I'd decided on an Orangina orange soda and a chocolate croissant; he'd chosen an éclair.

A couple of minutes later, we walked out of the café munching on our respective sweets.

"Where to now?" I asked him, wiping some chocolate off my fingers onto a napkin Edward held out.

"I thought we could just walk around here for awhile; I've missed the city," he noted. I nodded.

"Yeah, me too. I don't think I've been to Seattle since I was like twelve. I used to come here once every few months with my parents; we visited Greenlake Park to relax and have fun," I revealed. I had fond memories of that park.

"Oh, yeah? I think I've been there once. I remember there was a lake and uh… what are they called? Boats?" he struggled to find the right word.

"Oh, you mean the paddle boats? Yeah they're the best," I said.

"Yeah, those!" He seemed pleased that he was able to recall this memory.

"Whom did you go with?"

"I don't quite remember… I just know it wasn't my mom, of course," he scoffed. I wondered what his situation was with his mom, but decided not to ask. It felt too personal for a first date.

We came upon a man riding a tall unicycle, surrounded by a small crowd mostly comprised of tourists. Edward led us inside this circle and we watched the man do tricks while he joked about how he was fired from a circus. He was talented with words, always keeping the crowd entertained. Edward actually looked pretty impressed as well.

After watching for a few minutes, Edward took my hand and placed a fifty-dollar bill in it. I looked up at him, confused, and he nodded his head toward the unicycle man. I beamed at him and tentatively approached the man, holding out the bill in my hand to drop into the hat in his outstretched hand. He glanced down at the bill and did a double take. I was on my way back to Edward when the man's voice boomed, "We've found our lady of the hour! Miss, may I have your name?" I looked at him, perplexed, and hesitantly told him, "Isabella."

"Well, Miss Isabella, would you please stand over here?" He gestured to the center of his "workspace." I hobbled over to where he indicated and waited.

He started doing all kinds of tricks around me, making the crowd erupt into "ooh's" and "ahh's." I giggled the entire time, not minding that I was kind of the center of attention. At one point, I glanced at Edward and he had the most breathtaking smile on his face. He wasn't watching the performer, but me. I smiled back at him, and he winked at me. The man thanked me again and sent me on my merry way.

"Thanks, Edward, that was really fun," I told him, still smiling.

"That was all you, Isabella," he murmured. I pretended like I didn't hear that.

We entered a hallway with a bunch of booths, and I gravitated toward a man selling a bunch of rings. Edward was a few booths over where a woman was showcasing jewelry.

The man didn't say anything, but simply sat behind his booth, polishing some of his merchandise. My eyes zeroed into a thin, old-fashioned silver ring at the edge of the cloth all the merchandise was placed on. I picked it up and inspected it.

There was a tiny dragon-like creature engraved into it, and I was immediately reminded of the way Edward looked like when he was condemning his victims. He was a powerful, fire-breathing dragon protecting its treasure. I knew I had to get it for him.

**EPOV**

I'd never seen a girl who looked that happy. Isabella was the most expressive creature I'd ever met, and she was enraptured by the simplest of things. Her curiosity made her adorable, and when she found out something new, she had this glow in her eyes that made me want to show the whole world to her.

I pictured her face as I sorted through the bracelets on the booth table, looking for something that would match Isabella's personality. I needed to get her something that would show her what she was to me. Hell, I didn't even know what she was to me, but over the past couple of hours, I'd realized that I couldn't push this girl away anymore. She was too mesmerizing. I was going to proceed with caution, but I admitted to myself that this was not something I wanted to run away from.

I was about to give up when the woman who'd been silent until now spoke up. "Is that your girl over there?" she asked me, her voice soft. I stuttered.

"Uh, it's, well," I didn't know what to tell this stranger. She nodded sympathetically.

"Well, I can tell that you're working something out together. What's your zodiac sign, son?" she inquired.

"I'm a Gemini," I told her suspiciously.

She looked over some of her bracelets and nodded. "What is she?" she asked me. And I felt like blushing because I didn't know her birthday. I told the woman to wait while I pulled out my Blackberry and checked Isabella's Facebook profile. Her birthday was September 13th, and I remembered Jasper's birthday was on the fifth, so she must be a Virgo. The woman was patiently waiting for me, and when I told her that Isabella was a Virgo, she grinned widely.

She pulled out a bracelet and showed it to me; there were the two zodiac signs engraved into a artfully rusted metal. It was perfect. I wouldn't have been able to find it anywhere else, of course. I was grateful that we'd come here, for more reasons than this.

I got to know Isabella and her smile. Her smile made me smile. God, was I whipped or what? This sucked.

But I couldn't stop smiling as I thought that.

**BPOV**

I asked the balding man how much I could buy the ring for and realized that I didn't have any money with me when he told me the price. I held up my finger to tell him that I was going to be right back and walked up to Edward. He seemed really intent on some bracelets the woman was selling.

"Do you think I could pay you back later? I found something I'd like the buy," I implored him.

"Uh, yeah, sure. Here," he dug through his pocket for his wallet and handed me a bill without looking at it. I quickly thanked him and returned to the ring booth, paying for the trinket without a word to the merchant. I returned to Edward just as he turned away from his booth. I held out his change and he shook his head.

"I don't keep change and small bills in my wallet; it gets too heavy," he said nonchalantly. I wasn't sure what to do with thirty-five dollars, so I gave him an expectant look. He rolled his eyes and took the money from me, turning to the lady in the booth he had been looking at.

"Have a good dinner with your husband," he told her, adding a hundred dollar bill to the thirty-five dollars. Her eyes bulged out of her head and she tried refusing, but Edward just turned away from her, walking back to where I was standing.

I was stunned by how nice he could be. Would the man ever cease to surprise me?

"Did you buy anything?" I asked, wondering if he'd bought himself jewelry; this wasn't exactly his _scene_.

"Yeah, I did." He left it at that. He texted someone on his Blackberry and we chatted as we walked back towards where we came form. We stopped at the bottom of the hill and he lifted me up fluidly in his arms again, but this time I didn't protest. It felt good; a warm feeling settled in my stomach and I tried to lean into his chest without being caught. I breathed in deeply and allowed his clean scent to settle into my lungs. His neck smelled like my pillowcase right after I took it out of the drying machine. I couldn't explain it, but it was just… clean. He effortlessly carried me up the steep incline.

"Do you work out?" I blurted, and blushed_. Nice one._

He laughed, thankfully. "Yeah, I work out when I can. I like the fatigue that comes after I work out. It makes me feel like I've accomplished something," he described. I nodded my head, though I wasn't familiar with that feeling. I never worked out in fear that I would severely injure myself.

We entered the Jaguar that was waiting for us; did the driver have some sort of Cullen GPS? Oh, maybe that was who Edward was texting. That would make sense. I wondered what would happen if the car was late.

The sun was starting to dip under the horizon, and I yawned, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Don't tell me you're ready to go home, Swan. We're still not done." He declared. I shook my head.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I asked hopelessly. He answered my question with a quirk of his eyebrow. I sighed.

"Don't worry, it's not too far from here," he assured me.

We were dropped off in front of a pier overlooking Elliot Bay. I was glad; I hadn't had enough of the view at Pike's Place. The sky was a gorgeous amalgam of pink, red, violet, yellow, and gold when we approached a restaurant.

Edward held the door open for me and I thanked him as I stepped into the room. It was decorated extravagantly, but it still fit with the ocean theme. I was glad it wasn't some ballroom where I'd be expected to eat like a bird and mind my manners at all times. Edward put his hand on the small of my back and led me to where a receptionist was standing with two menus. Gee, he was ready.

"Welcome, Mr. Cullen. We have accommodated your request and have your instructions. Would you please follow me to your table?" He gave me a smile before he led us into the room with all the tables and… Tables and chairs. Uh…

"Edward, are you sure this isn't a ghost restaurant or something?" I whispered into his ear, getting a creepy feeling as we followed the receptionist. Edward's laugh echoed through the room, and I flinched. We were seated, and the man set the menus down next to our filled water glasses, leaving us alone in the room. I questioned Edward's sanity.

"Oh, Isabella, I rented out the place. Hm, so I believe I'm quite partial to their…"

"YOU WHAT?"

**The Mount Marcus Preparatory Academy uniform, Bella's Barneys Outfit (BBO, haha), and a visual of this chapter are all on my Polyvore. (Links on my user profile, .net/~edwardsfavoritebrunette)**

**For every review, a veggie vamp gets their topaz eyes! Some love for my first almost 8K chapter?**

**Just a warning that I probably won't be able to update in…awhile. But please bear with me. Real life is a bitch…**

**PS: I'm actually tempted to start putting in lyrics and have you guys guess what song they are from and who it's by. What do you guys think?**


	13. Chapter 12: Warm Attraction

**I forgot to thank cruiz107 in the last chapter for recc'ing my story! Check out her story, **_**It's Always Been You**_**, if you're a sucker for HS stories like me! I absolutely adore the fact that Bella's an outsider from the…cult : )**

**Happy one-year anniversary of TWotRaP! The story's unraveling at a snail's pace, I admit, but thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through the months!**

**Thank you to ALL of you who have left me little presents in my inbox DAILY in the form of story alert subscriptions, author alerts, and especially reviews! I'm glad to hear that you loved the date as much as I loved writing it! I respond to all reviews (unless I thought that I already replied, but I actually didn't- I apologize if that's the case!), sometimes even more than once because I have a crap memory. Also, **_**bounjour, 'allo, salut!**_** new readers and you silent subscribers! (Don't worry, I still love you guys!)**

**If perfect's what you're searching for, then just stay the same**

**Bruno Mars, **_**Just the Way You Are**_

**Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, I would put in Peeta Mellark from **_**The Hunger Games **_**so I could have two of my favorite fictional men in one novel. But alas, I can't. I don't own Hana Yori Dango/ Boys Over Flowers; no copyright infringement is intended. I do not make a profit from this writing.**

**Chapter 12: Warm Attaction**

**BPOV**

I was still standing up in front of my chair when the waiter came back with a few plates.

"…to their salmon," Edward finished slowly with an amused expression on his face.

Eventually, the shock wore off, and I sat back down across from Edward, who now wore the most smug expression in the history of mankind.

I regained my composure, hiding my blush by busying myself with folding my napkin across my lap and smoothing it down. I tucked my hair back behind my ears when it fell across my face. I cleared my throat.

"So… If we're really the only ones here, does that mean we could run around here naked and no one would know?" I smiled sweetly, resting my head on my hand, placing my elbow on the table.

Cullen choked a little on the water he'd been gulping down. I was admittedly disappointed that there was no spit-take action.

"Well, uh… be my guest; you're more than welcome to get naked. I, however, cannot risk being caught by the staff. Tabloids are ruthless these days," he said nonchalantly, as if he was discussing the different kinds of credit cards that were stored in his designer wallet. He picked up one of the menus placed in front of each of us and browsed it only for a few moments before deciding on his order.

I, on the other hand, was unfamiliar with the dishes they were serving and had to read the descriptions to each of them. The first thing I saw was the right hand column of the page: the prices. I gulped. The plates were ridiculously expensive, so I scanned the page for the lowest price I could find. It was simply in my nature to do so.

"And don't you dare choose something just because it's cheap," Edward warned me, giving me a stern from his side of the table. I narrowed my eyes at him and looked back down at the menu. _How did he know?_

It took a few more minutes for me to finally decide on the grilled king salmon. I hadn't had seafood in awhile. As soon as I closed my menu and set it down, the waiter was back.

"Are we ready to order, Mr. Cullen? Miss Swan?" He asked politely. Edward nodded at me.

"May I please have your grilled king salmon?" He nodded at me, taking my menu off the table and turning to Edward.

"I'll have the French rib steak," he stated. The waiter didn't write any of this down.

"Very good. Your meals will be out shortly." He gave us a small bow-like gesture and walked off to the kitchen with both of our menus. Immediately, a woman in her mid-twenties burst out of the kitchen with a basket of bread, setting it down on our table silently and returning to the double doors. And then it was Edward and I.

"So why exactly don't you go to your classes?" I inquired him, trying to make conversation, but also genuinely curious.

He shrugged. "I just know education isn't that important. I figured that out in middle school. I already have my future cut out for me, so there's nothing I could really do to change that; not getting straight F's, which was eighth grade, not ditching school altogether most of my high school years, not refusing to visit my mom for an entire year in seventh grade," Edward shared, looking not distraught, but contemplative. I nodded, though I couldn't sympathize with him. I was starting to see why Edward Cullen was who he was today, though there were a lot of puzzle pieces that I hadn't discovered yet.

"So, I told you all about my family. What about yours?" I probed. He stiffened a little, his back straightening against the back of his chair.

"My mother, Elizabeth Cullen, is the CEO of my family's company. She runs everything and trusts very few people with her work. I'm not one of them, though there's no doubt that I will be the heir of Cullen Hotels Inc. She likes to micromanage not only within her company, but also with my life. She doesn't really intervene, but she makes sure that I'm aware that she's there at all times, ready to swoop in if I make a mistake. My father's dead. He died when I was nine." His voice was dull, and it sounded as if he was reading from a textbook. I felt the need to pull him back to the present, back to our date.

My heart leaped a little in my chest when it really sunk in that I was on a date.

My first date.

So I reached out tentatively and pulled on his hand that was fidgeting on top of the table. I reached out for one of his fidgeting hands on top of the table and he startled a little but didn't pull back. I pulled his hand out a little so our hands were clasped together in the middle of the table. I hoped he could feel my sympathy for him.

I felt too nervous to meet his gaze, so I stared down at our joined hands, at my thumb moving across his smooth palm. Man, did he have soft hands. Oh, the joys of not working a day in your life.

Apparently I'd said that out loud, because suddenly Edward was laughing, enjoying my embarrassment.

"I'm insulted, Isabella," Edward chuckled. "I actually have a battle scar from when I was like, eight." He showed me a tiny indented line on his left index finger. I traced along the scar, and he let out a small sigh. "I was actually, uh, cutting wood for a book case, and accidentally cut my finger." I laughed at that. He was such a spoiled child. I was surprised when he chuckled along with me. I thought he'd be offended. This time, his fingers enclosed around mine, and I felt more relaxed than I had in awhile. He was being so open with me, and I loved it.

I wanted to lighten the mood a little more, so I decided to ask him something cheesy.

"So, what's your favorite _smell?_" I leaned forward a little, pretending like I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for his answer. His mouth twitched in amusement, but his answer was serious.

"Honeysuckle. Well, honeysuckle and wood." He looked straight into my eyes and smiled pleasantly, as if he was reliving a fond memory. This made me smile. Maybe Edward Cullen wasn't as dark of a person as I original thought. "It reminds me of home."

"Wait," I interrupted. "I thought you said you didn't have a _home?"_ I was confused now.

"Well, yeah. I have a couple houses, the most significant ones being the residences in Chicago and Seattle. I'm sure you've heard that I'm from Chicago." I shook my head no, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he kept going. "Well, I am. Born and raised there." He grimaced and his fingers tightened around mine infinitesimally. I squeezed him back. "There's a cottage behind my house there. That's my home. Honeysuckle thrived there, and that's where I also built the bookcase I was just talking about. It's the only place that I associate with goodness."

That seemed like all I was going to get out of him for now. But I was certainly intrigued about his _home. _But I was glad that a lonely, independent guy like him had a place to call home.

"So what made you move to Seattle?" I asked after a few moments of silence. He grimaced, but still wasn't unwilling to answer.

"After my father, Anthony Masen, died, Elizabeth sent me off to the new hotel in Seattle. I stayed there for a week or two while our new house was prepared for my arrival. After I moved in, she visited a few times, to check up on her business, of course. I met Emmett and Jasper shortly after, along with many, many tutors and nannies. Elizabeth finally gave up on tutoring me when I reached middle school." He was smiling again, and I wanted to know what he was remembering.

"There was only one nanny that I loved. She was the best; she was the closest person to become a mother to me." He chuckled and shook his head. "She was the reason I stayed in Washington." I smiled and squeezed his hand again. It was warm, but not uncomfortably so. I always worried that my palm would get sweaty if I held hands with somebody.

The waiter finally arrived with our entrees and we dug in. When we disengaged our hands, I felt a loss, his lost warmth just a shadow against my skin. Edward glanced at me a few times as we ate in silence. I was marveling at how moist and tasty the salmon was. Finally, I held his gaze, and asked him, "What?"

He laughed uncomfortably, shrugging. "I'm glad you're enjoying the food."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I put my fork down. "Am I eating like a pig or something? I'm not going to apologize for loving what I ordered!" I cried indignantly.

"No, Isabella, I'm just saying that it's nice to see someone who appreciates… things." He mumbled vaguely, swallowing a bite of steak. I smiled, relieved that he wasn't grossed out by me tackling down the salmon.

Our plates were cleared, our water was refilled, and we both held out dessert menus in front of us.

"Do you have enough room for dessert?" Edward asked me over the top of his menu. I assessed my mental stomach tank.

"I don't know if I can have a _whole _dessert…" I trailed off uncertainly.

Edward nodded and looked toward the front of the restaurant to signal for the waiter. He arrived at our table and Edward spoke up. "We will share one crème brûlée." The waiter nodded mutely and once again collected our menus.

"I've never tried that before. Is it good?"

"You shouldn't doubt my taste in food, Isabella. I promise you'll love it." I didn't have a doubt in my mind that I would.

It was silent for a few minutes, both of us lost in our thoughts, until our dessert arrived. A smile lit up Edward's face when the waiter set it in between us. Before he could get to it, I pulled it toward me and picked up a knife.

I set just the tip of it on the crust of the crème, looking up at him through my eyelashes, silently questioning if that was a good portion for him. He scoffed, giving me an exaggerated incredulous look.

"That's it? I'm a growing boy, Isabella. I'm going to need more than that." I scoffed when he said _boy. _Had he seen himself the last few years? He was hardly a boy.

I pursed my lips, which was hard because I was trying to suppress a smile. I moved the knife over two millimeters and looked at him for approval. He raised his eyebrows at me. Rolling my eyes and giving an exaggerated sigh, I allowed the knife to go a few millimeters over the fair halfway mark.

"Happy, your majesty?"

"I am very satisfied, Miss Swan." He grinned at me. I let the knife cut through the smooth cream, slicing it in not-quite-half.

I set the knife aside on the table and started to turn his half of the dish toward him but he shook his head. I tilted my head to the side, confused, but he only smiled and rotated it the opposite way I'd turned it. the slightly larger portion was on my side.

I couldn't stop the uncontrollable smile creeping up on my face and bit my lip.

"Thanks, Edward," I told him. He shrugged, and scooped up some cream with his spoon.

I groaned through my last few bites of the dessert, feeling my stomach expand to its limit. Edward seemed impressed when I declared myself full.

"Hey, do I have anything on my face?" He suddenly asked me. I scanned his face and was about to tell him no, when I realized what he'd been referring to. Our ceramics class last week.

I laughed loudly, reaching out to brush my thumb against his smooth cheek. My thumb felt warm while it was in contact with his skin, and I smiled.

"No, you're clear now," I informed him jokingly. Suddenly, his face fell a little and I could see his walls forming around him. _Dammit. It was good while it lasted._

"So, do you like Jasper? You've hung out a few times." He asked me, not beating around the bush. I was startled by his question. Did I like Jasper? Did he have any motives? I shook my head at myself. I tended to look too deeply into things.

"Well, yeah, I like him." Edward's mouth formed a grim line and he looked down. "I mean, no! I mean… he's cool, and nice, but not that way. It's none of your business, anyway…" I trailed off. He looked up at me. "He seems like a widow, though. I can't really pinpoint it, but he just seems so… sad all the time. Even more broody than you sometimes," I vented. Edward nodded solemnly, taking the last sip from his water.

"He only likes older women because he was screwed over by a girl once, a few years ago," he informed me. "But good. You shouldn't like a guy who eats cereal with soy milk." He stood up from his chair, placing his napkin on the tablecloth, signaling that we were leaving. I giggled, standing up as well.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, it's weird. You shouldn't date a guy who likes soy milk with cereal, everyone knows that," he mumbled next to me, walking out the restaurant.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Cullen. Have a wonderful evening," the receptionist said, opening the front door for the two of us.

"Wait, don't we have to pay?" I asked Edward, turning to him.

"Already taken care of beforehand," he divulged, placing his hand at the small of my back. My body instantly warmed. How could he make me react this way every time he touched me?

"I'll keep it in mind that I shouldn't date a guy who likes soy milk. Is there anything I should know about you? Do you like cream cheese on your toast? One must always know these things," I teased him. I could see his scowl in the dim lights of the pier.

I faced him, still walking. "Thank you, by the way. Tonight was wonderful, Edward," I confessed, blushing a little. Suddenly, my heel caught on a loose board, and I almost face-planted, had Edward not slid his arm across my back and around my waist. I could feel my blush covering my neck now. Edward just laughed, and we kept walking.

"You're welcome, Isabella," he whispered, a slight swagger in his step. After a few moments, I quietly murmured, "Bella."

"Excuse me?" He faced me again, his arm keeping me close to his side.

"I go by Bella,"

"Why didn't you correct me before?" he asked, confused.

"Uh, honestly? I didn't know where _this_," I slightly motioned between us. "Was going. But, I just wanted to let you know that I prefer Bella." He cocked his head to the side, smiling at me.

"Bella." My name rolled off his tongue, and it sounded like he was speaking a foreign language. I shivered, and his hold on me tightened.

He held me this way all the way up until we entered the car with me sliding in first again. His hand reached for mine, and I gratefully accepted his unique warmth. Lulled by the silence in the dark car, I closed my eyes and allowed my mind to shut down a little after the exciting day I'd had. A few minutes later, I felt a hand on my neck, pulling me down. I was too tired to resist or question him moving me, and I felt my head rest against a hard object that emitted heat.

I sighed and snuggled, only thinking about staying comfortable for my little nap. And then I was out like a light.

**I apologize- that was about half of what I originally planned, but I just wanted to get this out for the anniversary. : ) (Sorry about any mistakes- I'm about to pass out and I haven't edited it yet- EEK! Not looking forward to reading it tomorrow morning and realizing any mistakes I make…)**

**I also have an announcement. I'm looking for a pre-reader. Someone who knows this story and who could help me with plot development. If you're interested, please PM me! Thank you!**

**For every review, a vampire somewhere in the world gains a memory from their human life!**


	14. Chapter 13: Rich Son of a Bitch

**Thank you for sticking with me, and welcome new subscribers. Thank you for the lovely reviews. I reread them when I get sad and uninspired!**

**Welcome to the team, cruiz107! Your team TWotRaP jersey will be arriving in the mail shortly ;) Thanks, lovely, for your help and for believing in me!**

**I'm going to try this game where you, my good readers, guess the song title that corresponds with the song lyrics that I put in the A/N's. Winner gets a shout-out in the next chapter. If you can come up with any other prizes, let me know ;)**

**She said what are you ready for?  
Kiss her, kiss her.**

**I set my clocks early cause I know I'm always late.**

**Falloutboy, ****?**

**Disclaimer: **

If I owned Twilight, Robert Pattinson would be sitting next to me right now, and I'd be er, _coaching _him through some _tough_ Breaking Dawn scenes. Don't look at me like that! You know you would, too! I don't have rights to Hana Yori Dango or any pop culture references, either. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 13: Rich Son of a Bitch**

**BPOV**

A soft hand rubbing my left bicep comfortingly roused me from my sleep.

As I came to, one question plagued my mind, begging for an answer. My mind was too foggy ponder anything that took energy, so I decided to open my eyes and see what to do from there.

My eyelids peeled open and I could see small, blurry points of light amidst darkness. And… oh! I knew what was bothering me.

_Where am I?_

I blinked my eyes a few times to adjust my vision and straightened my posture, my shoulders cracking in the process.

"Sleep well?" a voice next to me asked.

I jumped, well, more like fell, against the cold, hard window with a gasp, the seatbelt making a quiet _throom _sound at my sudden movement stretching it. I fell back forward slightly because the stupid seatbelt locked, leaving me in a pretty uncomfortable position.

Edward Cullen gazed back at me, his eyebrows knitted together and a crooked smile playing on his lips. I scowled back at him, gathering the scattered pieces of my brain and piecing them back together.

I was in Edward's black Jaguar, and he was driving me home after our date, as far as I knew.

"Fine," I attempted to snap at him, but I probably just sounded breathless.

"Aren't you supposed to be in a better mood after taking a nap?" he retorted, folding his arms across his chest. I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry, I just forgot where I was, and you scared me," I explained, trying to placate him.

He scoffed haughtily. "How can you forget a date like that? I thought it was pretty motherfucking awesome, if I do say so myself. Execution, creativity, and style- perfect ten. If you think otherwise, then we may have a problem here." He crooked an eyebrow at me, challenging me.

I rolled my eyes at him again. I'd hurt his ego, but there was enough to go around anyway.

If his ego was food, it could feed a homeless shelter for a year.

I unbuckled my seatbelt to release the uncomfortable tightness across my chest. Edward's eyes strayed to my cleavage and I had to suppress a giggle. Boys.

"How long have we been stopped?" I asked, suddenly fearing that he'd had to put up with my unconscious self for a long time. Joshua told me I talked in my sleep, but I never believed him.

And cue the paranoia.

He shrugged. "Maybe eight minutes. I was trying to figure out how to wake you up. I was actually going to just carry you out the car, but I didn't want to risk getting injured. You're very bad with surprises."

"Oh." I didn't know what to say to that. "Well, thanks for dropping me off, Edward. I had a good time… I guess," I teased. He pursed his lips. Then, he unbuckled himself and exited the car. I leaned toward the door and reached for the door handle, but it was pulled open from the outside.

I felt myself falling, but Edward's steady arms caught me, saving me from further embarrassment. As he helped me out of the car with me struggling to put one high-heel in front of the other, I was hyper-aware of the warmth, or dare I call it- electricity-that ran across my skin and straight to my heart.

I could feel myself blushing, and was thankful that this part of the street wasn't well lighted. God knows he would poke fun at my humiliation.

Finally, I was on my own two feet, and Edward pulled away from me. I felt the electricity growing weaker and weaker, until it disappeared. And I found myself willing to suffer some more embarrassment, if only he would touch me some more.

He was staring at me, his hands awkwardly reaching out, and I cleared my throat to ease the… tension between us. If I were to call upon the physics I'd learned in my junior year, I'd say that maybe what I was feeling, unusually, was the force between my center of mass and Edward's, pulling us together.

I was such a nerd. I was glad that I could control what came out of my mouth at times. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

We started towards my apartment complex in silence, the hum of electricity in the three inches separating our bodies dull from the lack of contact between us.

Once we were in front of my door, I suddenly realized something.

"Hey Edward, what happened to my uniform and backpack?"

He smiled, and I cocked my head at him. "It's in the Jaguar. I guess you'll just have to come and get them from me tomorrow," he said.

"Why Edward Cullen, are you blackmailing me?" I asked incredulously, giving an attempt at flirting with him.

"You've caught my drift, I see," he joked. "Miss Swan, you can only have your backpack returned to you if you come to my suite tomorrow and hang out with us. Actually, Emmett requested it. He said something about beating you in foosball." He shook his head, obviously not privy to the way Emmett's mind worked. "Anyway, I'll have your uniform dry cleaned and ready for you by tomorrow afternoon. I'll be by to pick you up, and I'll text you when I get here." He smirked.

"No, I can go by bike…" Then I realized my bike was still at school. _That son of a bitch_. He seemed to know of my predicament, and his smile grew wider.

I scowled at him. I was stuck, since I only owned one uniform outfit. I'd been planning on focusing on my homework tomorrow, but surely a few hours back on campus wouldn't do too much harm. I agreed unwillingly, though I was secretly excited to see him outside of school.

Well, technically, we would still be at school, but it wouldn't be a school day… I digress. I programmed his cell number into my phone and sent him a text to make sure he had mine as well. It made me smile when my phonebook contact in his Blackberry was "Bella" instead of "Isabella." I'd secretly entered him as "Rich SOB," which would probably make me smile every time he called or texted me. Hey, it even rhymed- _rich son of a bitch! _

I got out my key, which I'd smartly put inside my new purse, and placed it inside the keyhole, but left it there as I swiftly turned around and stretched on my tip-toes to quickly kiss Edward's cheek.

My lips felt like they were burned, and I had to keep from touching my fingers to my lips to see if they were scorching hot, on fire. I stepped back down and gave him a sweet, slightly embarrassed smile, and turned the key and opened the door. I looked back at him, and he gave me a slight smile with a wave. I waved back at his retreating figure and closed the door, leaning on it.

It took a little force to make the door fit back in its frame, but I finally succeeded and turned the lock on it.

I tiptoed in the direction of my room, slipping my heels off during my trek when it had made a noise against the solid floor when I'd first stepped into the kitchen.

It was a few minutes before Dad would be leaving for his shift at the hospital, so I hurried across the apartment so he wouldn't catch me and question my previous whereabouts.

Luck was not on my side, as just when I was about to open my bedroom door, Dad stepped into the living room and eyed me up and down.

"That a new dress?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his jacket. His eyes were seemingly shining like he was thinking of an inside joke, and I wasn't in the know. I shifted a little uncomfortably, trying to swipe an errant strand of hair from my face. Almost knocking my eye out in the process. I'd forgotten I was still clutching my heels. _Idiot. _

"Uh, yeah… It's a new outfit," I clarified hesitantly. I was hoping he'd take pity on my discomfort and leave it at that, but of course he just had to ask where I'd been.

"Seattle…" I drew out the word like I was trying out a new curse word someone had taught me. I was shit at lying, and I didn't keep any secrets from my parents anyway, so I told the truth. Well, I didn't have any secrets until now. But somehow, I felt like I had to come to terms with my new friendship with Edward before I could tell anyone else about it.

Finally, Dad let me off the hook, not reprimanding me, but waving me off with a big grin. I hugged him, my heels clanking together behind him as my arms encircled him.

"I love you, Bella. Good night," he told me. I repeated the sentiment and told him to have a good shift. His clear blue eyes held an unfathomable depth of love for me, and I was again reminded of why I'd decided to not befriend anyone at Mount Marcus Preparatory until now.

I was like Harry Potter, telling off Voldemort, shouting at him that I was different from him because I had love. I had family. I had an irreplaceable bond with five people whom I would willingly sacrifice everything for. And those bitches and motherfuckers, well, they were the epitome of the phrase, "beauty is only skin-deep."

I had all the love and support I needed to survive my last year of high school, and maybe I'd even make friends along the way.

**Yes, that was originally the second part of chapter 12, so it was short, but good news! (Or bad, depending on how you look at it) I will be posting chapter 14 as soon as I can! **

**Have you ever given someone in your phonebook a funny name? Maybe you even almost had a heart attack when it appeared and you forgot that you'd changed the name? **

**I'd named a certain guy "avoid at all cost…" It's still in my phonebook ;)**

**Oh, and yes I did reread a bit of the last chapter and cringed with all the typos I found, especially in the AN's… I apologize profusely, but hey, at least it's out? *****Bites nails and looks around shiftily***

**For every review… a vampire gets their hands on some good ol' blood. Yum. All criticism is welcome!**

**A few recc's:**

**Dear Bella Swan, You're Playing with the Big Boys, by Dobber17**

I found this one through Project Team Beta. It's set in high school (do you see a theme here?) and has one of the cutest (football- need I say more?) Edwards EVER. (Next to Fifty Shades and An Introduction to Swirl and Daisy- Swirl). Bella and Edward struggle in their friendship when she's faced with the problem of being the only girl on a football team full of guys, some of whom are sexist…

**A Tale of Two Edwards, by kArlITaLUna and Xshear**

My dear, dear friends finished ATOTE a WHILE ago, so it's complete. And fucking awesome. (The sequel is "in the works"…) Imagine Edward times two. But wait, there's more. Edward Cullen is beautiful, kind, and intelligent. (AHEM Stefan Salvatore) Edward Masen is fuckhot, British, and irresistible (AHEM Damon Salvatore). Combine them and you have a pretty overwhelmed Bella! So go check it out and give them some love.


	15. Chapter 14: Ballyhoo

**You're a lifesaver, cruiz107. Your insight is very much appreciated.**

**You, my good readers, can guess the song title that corresponds with the song lyrics that I put in the A/N's. Winner gets a shout-out in the next chapter. Last chapter was cruiz107 (well, she recognized the song!). It was **_**A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More Touch Me, **_**by Falloutboy. **

**I've fallen out of favor and I've fallen from grace**

**Fallen out of trees and I've fallen on my face**

**Fallen out of taxis, out of windows too**

**Fell in your opinion when I fell in love with you**

** Florence + The Machine, ****?**

**Disclaimer: **

If I owned Twilight, I would have hired the people who do the effects for "The Vampire Diaries" and stuck them in the special effects department of TTS: Eclipse… No offence to Tippett studios. I don't own any pop culture references (Firefox, Facebook, etc.) or Hana Yori Dango. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Chapter 14: Ballyhoo**

**EPOV**

I texted Newton to come up and take Bella's uniform to the dry cleaner's. It was late, but dude could find a way to get the job done.

At the last minute, I added that he should have the blazer altered to fit Bella more snugly. And for my own pleasure, I ordered her skirt to be hemmed two inches. _A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do. _The other sluts here at Mount Marcus bored me now with their standard ass-showing skirts and low-cut shirts. Isabella… was something else. She didn't show her skin to anyone who cared to look. She was _modest_, which made me eager to see more of her skin exposed.

The way her legs looked tonight were sinful, and they left me wanting more. Sue me.

I pulled my laptop open on the study desk in my room and gazed through the window as it started up. The campus looked pretty harmless at night, spotlights illuminating trees and moths flying around any light source. Behind the closed doors, however, I knew that some fucked-up shit happened. Boarding schools didn't get their bad rep from nothing.

Hell, I was the source of probably half of what went on around here. Sure, I drank and used my peers for my own disposal, just like _mother dearest_, but I didn't do drugs. Surprising, right? You might even see me on some fucking campaign for "just say no" in the near future.

Not.

Yeah, I was "Above the Influence"…because _I _was the influence.

That's why I liked to keep my life private. People could speculate all they wanted, but they would never know who I really was. God, how I wanted to get out of here.

Yeah, I could call this infinitesimal plot of land on Earth my dominion and claim to be the ruler, but… oh wait, I already did that. Anyway, the point is that this was not my future. I wasn't going to be like one of those people who stayed in college just because they didn't want to face real life. I couldn't fucking wait to get out here.

While I waited for my desktop to appear, I took Isa… _Bella's _uniform to the common room and set it by the entrance for Newton to pick it up. He already knew to bring it back by tomorrow morning.

I checked my email on my Blackberry while walking back to my room and closed and locked the door behind me. _What can I say, I like my space. _On my computer, I opened Firefox and messed around on the Internet for a couple minutes before deciding to check my Facebook.

I went through my usual routine of checking the top ten things on my newsfeed before tending to RSVP'ing (or not) to events I was invited to, accepting (or ignoring) friend requests, ignoring inbox messages from people I didn't care about, and glancing at the notifications that accumulated over the days. Sure, I had Facebook on my Blackberry, but I never used it. I hated having to work with such a damn small screen.

Finally, when I was out of things to do, I sat staring at the blue and white Facebook logo toolbar. _Should I…? _I barely pondered my next move before just going ahead and typing in 'Bella Swan', having to delete the text when I realized that I'd started typing 'Isabella'. However, she actually went by Isabella on Facebook, and apparently, we were friends.

Huh, I didn't remember adding her. I mostly just added anyone who I had mutual friends with.

I _was _a private person, yes, but Facebook really was what its name implied: it was just a façade. I was a totally different person than what I implied on my Facebook profile. So, I didn't really care about privacy there.

I scoured her profile, noting that she had very few photos of herself. Her wall was scant, mostly filled with Alice Brandon sending her links to Youtube videos and celebrity stalking websites.

I clicked on her information section, which was just as uninformative. I only learned what I already knew, but it made me happy that I knew that much about her: she was a woman, lived in Tacoma, Washington, had a brother named Joshua, attended Mount Marcus Preparatory Academy, and was born on September 13, 1992.

Something else I was proud of was the fact that I hadn't asked anyone else to look this shit up for me. I'd taken the initiative, some teachers would say. Or so I assumed; I hadn't attended many classes in the past year.

Bella had a fair amount of friends, but nowhere near as many as I did. But it was just a number. I could easily narrow my list of "friends" down to four or five people in the blink of an eye. We had forty-five "mutual friends." It was funny that it didn't seem that way-it felt like we were light-years apart.

**BPOV**

He was online.

I wanted to say _something,_ but nothing came to mind.

_Hey, Edward, you smelled so good back in the Jaguar. Oh, and btw, I totally thought you were going to kiss me. What happened? Xoxo, Bella_

_Cullen, I had a good time. I guess. Can you have my bike and uniform delivered by Monday? Thanks._

_Sir Edward, please ride by on your noble steed and…_

This was getting ridiculous. Someday, I was probably going to end up pressing 'enter' and accidentally sending him a ridiculous chat-message. I quickly deleted the last message from the type box and was about to give up and close out of Facebook, when I noticed the typing symbol next to his name. He was going to "pop" me!

Now that sounded wrong. That was going to be the last time I trusted Alice's "hip" terminology…

His chat message appeared on my screen:

**I'm having your uniform dry cleaned before you come by tomorrow. **

What, was he expecting an award for that? Well, I had to admit that it was nice of him. I typed back to him:

**That's nice of you. Thanks : )**

Short and sweet, Bella, short and sweet. I decided to needlessly stroke his ego again.

**I really did have a good time tonight. **

His response took a few seconds.

**Did you expect anything less from Edward Cullen? **

After a pause, he added:

**Would you go as far as to say that it was the best date in your life? ; )**

I rolled my eyes at him. I was not going to compliment him further.

**My first, actually. I wouldn't have anything to compare it to. I honestly don't know what I expected from you, but it wasn't that. **

I decided to be candid, apparently.

**Stubborn, **he replied. I smiled.

**So now that I know I've ruined any dates you'll have in the future, I can sleep soundly. Good night, Bella.**

Oh that rich son of a bitch… I didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, a shut down my computer and stumbled over to the other side of my room and crawled into my bed. I rubbed my hands and legs together under the covers to heat up the cold fabric pressing around me. When the temperature was to my liking, I burrowed my face into my pillow and welcomed the memories that I'd made with Edward today that sprang forth in my mind.

He'd been so generous, so funny, and so… normal. I never thought the billionaire heir was capable of slumming it at Pike's Place. Well, he _did_ take me shopping at freaking Barney's New York and rent out an entire restaurant, but the time we spent together, just walking around the market like two normal high school students on a date on a Friday night, felt amazing.

What was more astounding was the fact that he actually _wanted _to hang out with me tomorrow. He'd kept my bike and uniform as hostages to force me into agreeing to hang out with him tomorrow. Not that it took much convincing…

As I felt myself lose consciousness, I realized that not once did I dwell over something-anything-that I could have done differently today.

It was perfect as it was.

I woke up that Saturday morning feeling like I'd forgotten something. And I hated it.

I kissed my mom on the cheek when I entered the kitchen for breakfast and gave Joshua a "good morning," to which he nodded, or so I thought, because he was bobbing his head along to some song he was listening to on his iPod.

I wiped my nose on the napkin placed on the table and waited for Mom to finish plating our scrambled eggs with toast. The three of us ate in relative silence, Mom and I watching some morning talk show on the TV. As per our Saturday breakfast routine, I asked her about her volunteering the day before.

My mom volunteered every Friday afternoon at the Mary Bridge Child Abuse center at the same hospital Dad worked at, hanging out with kids and helping them overcome their past experiences. I always thought she was so brave for doing that; I would never be able to even fathom what those children went through, and my inability to empathize with their situation was the core reason that I didn't join my mom. I was so lucky to have such a loving family, even though sometimes we were pressed for money.

Though she never said anything about it, I was pretty sure my mom had been abused at some point in her life. You'd never be able to tell, since she was such an enthusiastic, caring, loving woman. But maybe her exposure to such darkness made her want to be good.

I never thought about these possibilities much, trying to focus on the fact that my mom was here for my dad, Joshua, and me right now.

She told me that though she was sad to see some new children at the facility this week, she was excited to get to know them and help them heal. I nodded as she told me stories about the kids, but she left out what had happened to them. Some say ignorance is bliss, and maybe I was a masochist, but someday, I wanted to hear these stories that she kept hidden from me.

All three of us cleared our plates, and since it was close to nine, my mom got out another plate and heated up some food for my dad. He was due back home in a few minutes.

Joshua took his ear buds out and turned off his iPod, setting it down on the table and made a quick trip to his room to retrieve his homework for the weekend. I continued to watch TV, waiting for my dad's arrival. On Saturdays, we convened as a family to watch TV, talk, and just hang out. Many girls my age would hate to do such a thing, but it was something that was really important to me.

On weekdays, all four of us usually had different schedules, and what with homework and work and soccer practice, we didn't have much time to spend together as a family. Dad was always trying to find a way to get his shift changed to a more normal time frame, but he wasn't in the position to make such changes. That was the reason why my mom stayed home most of the time- to keep us together, cohesive. She took some jobs here and there cleaning people's houses, but she actually wanted to be an interior designer. I knew that she didn't want to give up her stay-at-home mom position to go to school, but someday, I hoped she could finally achieve this dream.

My dad walked into the kitchen just a few minutes after nine AM and my mom kissed him before he could even put his stuff down. I diverted my eyes as they showed some PDA, and Josh rolled his eyes.

When they were done grossing their children out, Dad sat down to eat; he always got the biggest portion of food, but managed to scarf down his breakfast faster than any of us.

"So, Bella," my mom started. "What made you so late last night? You don't usually work on Fridays," she asked me. Her tone wasn't accusing, though, but more curious.

"Well, er…" I didn't know what to tell her. I wanted to tell the truth, but at the same time, not the whole truth. I settled for the basics. "I was in Seattle with a friend." There. I had friends, right? Mom gave Dad an amused look.

"A friend? Was this Alice?" I shook my head and gulped down the remainder of my orange juice.

"Are you going to tell us or should we keep guessing?" Esme asked, arching her eyebrow. I sighed.

"I was in Seattle with a boy from school." I rolled my eyes. Parents. Mom gave a very schoolgirl-esque squeal of excitement. Dad stared at her with his sparkling blue eyes. Before my mom could start on her predictable barrage of questions, though, I clarified, "But nothing's serious right now, so I'll tell you what happens _when _it happens."

Mom rolled her eyes in exasperation and leaned back in her seat. Dad put his arm around the back of her chair and gave Joshua a knowing look.

"_You _would tell us if you were dating a girl, right, Josh?" Joshua chuckled, his blue-green eyes twinkling with mirth. He gave Dad the thumbs-up sign. Despite all the fanfare, my parents dropped the subject.

Dad went over to wash his plate in the sink. "So, when I was getting into the building a few minutes ago, this really nice, sleek, black car pulled up. I think it was a Jaguar… Esme, what do you think about buying one? Maybe after Bella and Josh are in college?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and Esme rolled her eyes.

Something was bothering me. A sleek black Jaguar? I gasped, realization dawning on me. I ran to my room and flipped open my cell phone only to see that I had three missed text messages and two unheard voice messages. The first text read:

**I'm about five minutes away. Hope you're ready.**

Then the next,

**I'm here with the car. Come down ASAP.**

Shit. He was so impatient… I checked the clock to see how long I'd kept him waiting. The last text was sent about ten minutes ago.

**I'm calling you, Bella…**

I changed into a pair of jeans and a white, long-sleeved Free People top I'd bought at a second-hand store, struggling to snap my bra shut from over the shirt. I threw on a cardigan as well while I listened to the second message Edward had left me, saying that he was on his way to my apartment because I was "fucking taking forever" and if I "was planning on ditching" him, then I'd be "going to school without a uniform." If I weren't in such a rush and scared that he was going to be furious with me, I would have rolled my eyes.

I used the call back feature and grabbed my purse as I listened to the ringing. He picked up after only two rings.

"Where the fuck are you? Your apartment's security sucks, by the way. If I can get in a fucking burglar can, too. I'm on your floor right now." Uh oh. I ran through the kitchen and shouted at my parents and Joshua, "I'll be back in a few hours!" so I could get out the front door before Edward could knock.

I hung up our call and shoved the sticky door open, only to smack right into Edward's chest. An _oomph _sound came out of my mouth and I reached up to brace myself on his shoulders. His arms held me by the waist. I had to stop smacking into him. But then again, it gave me the excuse to sniff him and feel his body right up against mine… Oh jeez. I was hopeless.

He opened his mouth to say something, but I put one finger to his lips to shut him up.

I reached behind me, not taking my eyes off of his, and closed the door behind me. When it was closed all the way, I relaxed and breathed out a sigh of relief. Edward looked at me in confusion.

"What's going on?" he asked me, stuffing his Blackberry into his pocket.

I leaned my forehead on his chest as I tried to catch my breath. _He smelled mm mmm good._ When I could breathe normally again, I lifted my head off his chest and started walking down the hall, towards the staircase, beckoning him to follow me.

Once we hit the stairs, I started explaining to him.

"I'm sorry, but I kind of forgot you were coming today, and my phone was in my room, and my dad came and said he liked your Jaguar, and I realized that you were here, and my parents can't meet you, and I don't know where this is going…" I prated, waving my hands around while we went down each step to the first floor. Edward stopped me by turning me towards him and leaning down to look me in the eye. He looked like he was trying to subdue a crazy person.

"Bella?" I stared straight into his beautiful emerald eyes. "You have to slow down because I don't know what the fuck you're talking about." He leaned away from me and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. Wait, jacket?

"Cullen, are you wearing something other than a blazer and slacks?" I asked incredulously. He rolled his eyes and looked at me expectantly. Oh, right. He'd asked me a question. "Uh, yeah. So I forgot you were coming. And my dad said he saw a black Jaguar on the street, and I remembered you were supposed to be here," I explained to him clearly. His eyebrows furrowed.

"You forgot I was coming? Didn't you see my texts?"

"Well, yeah, like three minutes ago." I huffed. "Not everyone checks their phone every single minute of the day. Anyway, I'm sorry I made you wait. And you're mad at me," I suspected. We got to the first floor and he held the entrance door open for me.

"Well, you can make it up to me by spending the rest of the day with me, I guess." He squinted as the sun's rays hit his eyes. I gasped. He wanted to spend a whole day with me? I suddenly got butterflies in my stomach, and I felt the need to let out a giggle. And I did. A little.

As my dad said, Edward's black Jaguar was idling at the curb. I felt bad for all the gas the car must have wasted while waiting for my forgetful ass to get down here. Edward opened the door for me to slide through and followed me in.

"Wouldn't it be so much faster to drive to school everyday?" Edward asked off-handedly.

Now, I could have lied and said that I rode my bike to school for exercise, but I wanted to be truthful with him.

"My family only has one car. Josh likes to walk to school, especially because he has some friends who live in our neighborhood. My dad drives to work every night, so the car isn't available until nine AM anyway. But I have my driver's license. I just never had the need to drive," I explained. He looked shocked, but I could tell he was trying to control his emotions.

"But if you're offering your services to drive me everyday…" I trailed off jokingly, trying to lighten the mood. He smirked.

"Would you like me to offer you my services, Isabella?" he asked me. There was a dark look in his eye that made me squirm. He made it sound so _dirty_. I blushed and looked down at my worn chucks.

"It's settled, then," he concluded. "I'll be driving you to school everyday." My eyes shot up to his at this declaration. _What _did he just say? I started stuttering and was ready to protest, but he cut me off.

"So be ready by 7:50. And don't forget." He looked at me pointedly. Then he changed the subject, leaving no room for discussion about our new arrangement. "Your Converse are going to fall apart if you tie another knot," he observed. I crossed my arms over my chest self-consciously. It was impossible to keep up with him, and he was so… so… Oh! I couldn't think of the word. But he reminded me of Mr. Woodhouse, ever the valetudinarian and patriarch in Jane Austen's _Emma. _

"My shoes are fine, thank you so much for your concern." My tone was dripping with sarcasm. I glared at him. He smiled back, shaking his head at me.

Before I knew it, we'd reached the school and the driver was opening our doors. Edward nodded to him and told him that he could do anything he wanted for the next several hours. My chest filled with those insistent butterflies again, and I suddenly felt apprehensive about hanging with the WMC on their home turf. I had to remind myself that these were the same people I'd been hanging out with the past couple of weeks. If they hadn't done anything bad to me by now, they most likely weren't going to try anything in the near future.

Unless I did something to upset them again. Right then, I started feeling unsure of my new friendships.

We were in the student and faculty parking lot on the south side of campus, so we didn't have far to travel to get to Blaneley Hall. We walked past the gate attendant, who let us through the gate and inside the campus. We passed the quad, the fountain, and the swimming pools before stepping inside Blanely. Now, I'd never been inside of any of the dorms in my four years here, but as I entered the building, I could tell this was much, much more luxurious than the rest of them.

Mike Newton and a few other people I barely recognized were hanging around on some couches when we entered, and apparently, Edward was not expected, because they jumped up and pretended like they were doing something useful; Mike ran over to press the 'up' button on the elevator.

I didn't know about Edward, but _I _was quite capable of pressing buttons the last I checked. In fact, I was best at pushing _Edward's_ buttons…

Edward caught me rolling my eyes and he shook his head, shrugging.

Thanks to Mike pushing the button ten seconds before we could, the elevator doors opened just as we approached them. For a second, I imagined Edward as Bruce Almighty, with control over everything, including elevator doors. I giggled to myself quietly. Maybe I was going a little crazy after spending so much time with Mr. Rich SOB.

When we entered the elevator, Edward inserted a card into a slot on the mirrored wall and pressed the 'P' button. I guessed the P stood for penthouse. We stood side-by-side, next to each other in the elevator, a nervous tension running between us. I played with the cuff of my cardigan sleeve and looked down, as if my hair could break the tension between us.

Then I remembered that I had forgotten to do something to my hair today in my haste to beat Edward to my door.

"Crap!" I shouted and spun around to check out my hair in the mirror behind me.

You know I'm not a vain person, but I felt like I was going home to "visit the parents." I didn't want to look frumpy in front of a room of gorgeous people!

"What's wrong?" Edward asked worriedly. But when he saw that I was trying to fix my hair, he chuckled. "Your hair looks fine, Bella," he tried to assure me, trying not to laugh.

"No, it doesn't! Do you see all these fly-aways?" I finger-combed through my long tresses and fished out two bobby pins that I'd left in from the night before. I relocated them on my head and pulled my hair up into a ponytail, realizing I didn't have enough time to do anything else. Edward looked askance at me, and I gave him a wide-eyed stare, trying to tell him that I was not crazy for trying to look good.

The elevator doors opened and I felt like a debutante as I stepped into a huge room with rich curtains and sofas, an enormous TV, and a bar, among other things. I furrowed my eyes at the bar and asked no one in general, "A bar? They let you have that here?" But then I remembered the powerful people that lived here. Edward gave me an amused glance. He took my hand and my heart squeezed in my chest.

"BE-LLA!" Emmett shouted. I was sure it was just his normal tone, but he actually sounded excited to see me. He ran over to give me a tight hug, which was awkward, because Edward was still holding on to my hand.

I patted the oaf on the back uncomfortably and he stepped away from me, gazing at my hand wrapped around Edward's. I thought I saw him smile before he turned away, yelling for Jasper to come out.

Well, he actually said and I quote, "Jazzy-hands! We request your royal presence in the common room!" Rosalie looked up from the magazine she was reading on one of the barstools and laughed out loud at Emmett's new name for her brother.

"Since you came here, I guess I'll have to uphold my end of the deal," Edward stated. He pulled on my hand and I followed him across the suite, confused about what he was talking about. He led me through an open doorway and let go of my hand when we were standing right in front of what I assumed was his bed.

Edward held out my perfectly folded and ironed uniform in front of me. _Oh. _Now I recalled that he'd been keeping my stuff hostage. I tried to scowl at him as I took my clothes from him.

"What size are you, anyway? I bet my arm can barely fit through that skirt," Edward deadpanned. He started flexing his bicep jokingly and I tried to swat him away as he tried to grab for my uniform skirt.

"You perv!" I giggled. "You're not getting anywhere near my skirt!" I squealed at him.

Just then, Jasper strode in and Edward stopped in his tracks, his arms around me. Jasper arched an eyebrow at the two of us, and I blushed, not knowing what he was thinking about Edward and me.

Edward finally let go of me and huffed.

"He's such a skirt chaser," Jasper teased. I laughed out loud at that. "Now, if you're done molesting the poor girl, you should bring her out to the common room so we can all hang out. Emmett didn't bring me out here for nothing, I hope," he said.

"Of course; let's go," I told Jasper brightly, following him out of the room.

Emmett pounced as soon as he saw me coming out of Edward's room.

_Hmm… Edward's room… why didn't I pay more attention while I was in there? Did he have Egyptian cotton sheets?_

"Swan! Foosball! Bring it!" Emmett shouted, patting the foosball table he was standing next to. He set down the glass he was drinking from and rubbed his hands in anticipation. _What was he drinking?_

I made my way over to him and sniffed at the glass. Emmett smiled at me.

"Scotch?" I asked him. He smiled at me and wiggled his eyebrows.

"You bet. Want some?" he offered his glass to me.

"I'll… pass. I need the upper hand in this game, which means staying sober," I told him. He shrugged his shoulders, then decided to crack his neck and all the knuckles on his hands. I winced.

"Ok, McCarty- zero, Swan- zero…" Emmett announced, waiting for me to take my position on my side of the table. I decided to humor him by sticking my tongue out and biting on it in concentration as I huddled over the handlebars. He nodded appreciatively. Then, before I knew it, he inserted the little plastic soccer ball and the game was on.

**EPOV**

Bella was so cute when she was indulging Emmett. But she also looked like she was having a lot of fun. I tried not to be conspicuous about checking out her ass as she leaned over the table, but I was sure that Jasper caught me looking at her. I simply smirked at him and he murmured, "Some things never change." I tipped back the jack and coke he'd mixed for me.

Sometimes, Bella bit down on her lower lip, and _shit, _I never knew that stuff could be hot. But then when she released it, the skin turned as red as a cherry.

Her lips looked mother fucking mouthwatering. She didn't need any lip-gloss or shit to look pretty.

And suddenly I was singing a different tune than I had been a month or so ago. I usually only looked at girls who wore pounds of makeup, because they felt less real to me. I used to think that they had a mask on, so it was okay for me to treat them badly because they were so… _fake. _But then there was Bella, and her natural beauty made her look like she was _actually _eighteen, not fucking twenty-one.

She looked vulnerable and I knew that I had to be careful with her. And not just because Jasper was her guardian angel or some shit like that.

Rosalie bumped her hip against mine as she sat next to me on the couch. Her hand slipped a little and I could see that behind her Vogue magazine was a car magazine. I quirked my eyebrow at her and she reached over, miming with her fingers and zipping up my lips. I chuckled at her.

Miss Queen Bee star softball player had an image to uphold. Whenever I thought I knew so much about her, she'd let a new secret slip. She was definitely a mystery, no matter how many years I knew her.

"She _does _have a nice ass, doesn't she?" Rosalie said with a straight face. "Don't think I didn't notice, Cullen," she told me, smirking. Jasper came over and shoved a martini at her and she blew him a kiss.

Jasper, Rosalie and I made idle conversation, Rosalie sharing some gossip about her teammates' _extra curricular_ activities. I learned more than I cared about Rosalie's discovery that Lauren Mallory actually wore extensions in her hair and hid things in her bra.

_I always wondered if she just had lumpy boobs. _She was part of the group comprised of her, Victoria, and Jane, and had a thing for Emmett. Sure, she was blonde and had big boobs, which was Emmett's type, but her lack of personality was apparent from the first sentence she ever spoke to the three of us.

Finally, Emmett and Bella's game ended, and I could tell because Emmett started yelling and whining, accusing her of cheating and tilting the table. Bella calmly told him that the faster he could accept that a girl beat him, the less inclined she would feel to kick him in the balls for being so sexist.

At that, Emmett cupped his family jewels and backed away from Bella, mumbling to himself. He sat next to Rosalie on our couch and moved her onto his lap and wrapped his hands around her. He mumbled into the top of her head.

She patted his leg beneath her, all while trying to suppress a laugh. Bella skipped over and stood in front of me. I jokingly opened my arms to her, but she took that as an invitation to sit down in my lap. I almost dropped my drink in shock. This position we were in felt so intimate. And I'd done even more… _intimate… things _in my lifetime.

She faced me and informed me, "I beat Em at foosball." Her deep brown eyes shined as she smiled at me.

"Congrats." I found that I meant that, too. "You know, I don't think Emmett's ever lost before. I can bring in an interior designer and have them construct a wall of fame for you," I offered, smiling back at her. She laughed, which made me laugh right along with her. Emmett smacked me and I smacked him back.

Bella started doing a little victory dance, singing about beating a rich boy at his own game. She was so silly.

Then Emmett started smiling, and I instantly became afraid.

"You know, Bella… I know there's something I can beat you at…" he trailed off. Bella stared back at him inquisitively. Emmett kissed Rose on the cheek and set her off of his lap.

"I can CHASE you!" he yelled, jumping up from the couch. Bella screamed and jumped off my lap, running for Jasper. _Hey, _I_ could have saved her! _Emmett quickly caught up with her and brought her up into his arms, carrying her over to a beanbag in the corner of the room. He dropped her down into it and she tried to squirm and crawl away, but to no avail. Emmett was much too strong for her. I suddenly was afraid of him crushing her little body.

Fuck, what was up with me? Since when was I such a mother hen?

Emmett covered her little body with his and I instantly became furious. He didn't have the right to touch her like that! Hell, even _I _hadn't gone that far!

Rosalie gave me a look from the corner of her eye. "Settle down, Mr. Twitchy Palms," she told me, smirking. "There's nothing to be jealous of." She rolled her eyes. Jealous? I laughed. I was _not _jealous. Bella must have felt uncomfortable with Em's hands all over her!

Emmett tickled her relentlessly until she gave in. _That _was definitely a tactic I was going to use often. He ordered her to not make fun of his "rich-boy-ness" anymore and she agreed. Then she pointed at me from across the room. "But I can still call him the Rich SOB, right?" she asked him.

Emmett guffawed and helped her up. "Of course. Actually, I _insist _that you call him that," Emmett joked. He gave her a high-five.

"Yeah yeah, I'm right here, you know?" I retorted.

"Oh no, I think we should leave Eddie alone now. He's going to get all pissy and sullen Cullen now," Emmett warned Bella. He pulled Bella onto the couch with him and wrapped his arm around Rosalie's shoulders. Bella took the remote and turned the TV onto an MTV rerun of Saturday Night Live. Jasper sat on my right side, kicking his legs up onto the coffee table.

He leaned into me and whispered into my ear, "See? I told you she'd fit in." I looked at him for awhile and responded.

"But she doesn't at the same time… you know?" I felt a little unsure of myself. I loved the way she acted around my friends. Only if I could get her to be so happy and carefree around me all the time.

"Well, it's about time we shook things up around here," Jasper said, turning his head towards the TV and laughing at something Tina Fey said.

Was it? Was there really a right time to change things up? The entire student body would think I was a pussy if they found out that I actually felt something towards Bella. They would undermine my authority. I'd be ejected from the throne, so to say. I couldn't have that. The school would be lost without me ruling over them.

Would it?

Why couldn't life be simpler? Why couldn't I just marry some trophy wife and have 2.5 kids and a golden retriever? Maybe even a beach house and a favorite motel to hook up with random bimbos. I could have a life where I didn't love anything but having time to myself.

But no, I had to go ahead and pay attention to someone other than myself and my friends and look where that got me.

I was falling for a girl who I couldn't possibly have a normal relationship with. We were from two separate worlds, and I would most likely end up disappointing her in the end. I had the tendency to hurt people, after all. It would be so much easier to just turn it all off.

But in the here and now, I didn't give a shit. I gave myself the green light to go ahead and see where Isabella Swan took me.

**www (dot) polyvore (dot) com / cgi / set?id=28513485**

**So, about Esme and the child abuse references, the Mary Bridge Child Abuse Center does exist in Tacoma. I do not have any personal experience with this, so the topic will not play any further role in this story as far as I know. I'm sorry if any of you are sensitive about it, and I am totally against it, of course. If there is anything you think I should know, feel free to contact me. **

**Also, if you have another name for Rich SOB-ward, lemme know : ) I am curious to see if anyone has any ideas… **

**For every review, Edward goes another 10 mph over the speed limit : )**


	16. Chapter 15: Mwah!

**Wow! TWotRaP had surpassed 1,100 views in February! And 3 communities? I'm not quite familiar with what they are, but thank you! I couldn't be any more excited! Thank you anyone and everyone for your love and support! It's very much appreciated! And we're almost at 100 subscribers and favoritors! Yeah, you know what I mean by "favoritors." Whatever.**

**I apologize (yet again) for this update being so late, but I've been going through a lot of personal crises the past couple or weeks and I've barely gone outside in months. Luckily, I finally learned that family members and friends in Japan are alright. I wish the best for any of you who are still searching for loved ones, and for anyone who lost someone dear. I'm truly sorry. **

**Yes, I have a lot of things to say. Bear with me! If you would like teasers and see outfits and such from chapters, check out my Polyvore (all links can be found on my profile as well) and follow me: www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/cgi/profile?id=825290 **

**You can find the story banner on my profile and at www(dot)polyvore(dot)com/ways_rich_privileged_banner/set?id=29962726**

**You, my good readers, can tell me the song title that corresponds with the song lyrics that I put in the A/N's in a review. **_Winners get an interview with Bella and a shout-out in chapter 16.___

**Last chapter was Falling, by Florence and the Machine. I'm **_**sure **_**you guys won't get this next one ;) I'm talkin' the remix version, too… I'd recommend Youtubing this song as well, as it has a catchy beat and maybe even listening to it while you read :)**

_**She spoke words that would melt in your hand**_

_**She spoke words of wisdom**_

_**To the basement people**_

_**To the basement**_

_**Many surprises await you**_

**Tourist History Remix-Two Door Cinema Club (Passion Pit Remix), ****?**

**Disclaimer: If I were making money off of this, I'd be updating everyday. But I don't, so I only get up off my lazy ass every few weeks. Or months.**

**Chapter 15: Mwah!**

**BPOV:**

Emmett had long since left me on the couch to play the Wii, and he and Jasper were playing some kind of carnival game. Surprisingly, Rosalie kept me company and we sat adjacent to each other on the couch. She had her legs pulled up onto the sofa, and I noted yet _another _pair of ridiculous heeled boots. She'd admitted to having a shoe fetish, namely boots and heels, which explained why I'd caught her once wearing pumps in the snow last winter. Apparently no matter what she was wearing, no matter what the weather was like, she had to wear boots or heels.

That sparked a conversation about fashion, and if Alice were here, she would have been so proud of me. Rosalie shared her shopping expertise, and I was struck by the idea that though she shopped _very _frequently, she didn't just throw away money like some of the people at Mount Marcus. I wasn't saying she was frugal or anything; she was just less decadent than most people would be in her position. I felt like it wasn't the clothes that made her look like a million dollars; it was her ethereal beauty that made the _clothes _look like a million dollars.

One day, I wanted to convince her to try on a potato sack and see if she still looked perfectly angelic. She probably would.

We also gossiped about the boys. Well, _she _gossiped, and I listened. She made sure to talk loud enough for the whole room to hear, but the boys made few interjections during her commentary.

Edward sat silently to my right, and I often felt the weight of his eyes on me. I made eye contact with him a couple of times, but he only gave me a small smile each time. I hoped he didn't think I was interfering with his time with his friends. He'd also asked me if I was hungry or thirsty, but I replied in the negative, and that was about the extent of his socialization.

At this point, I felt so comfortable with the Ice Queen herself that I decided to ask her something I'd been wondering about for awhile.

"Rose?" I asked her, grinning slightly.

"Mmhm?" she hummed back, seemingly staring at Emmett's ass as he twisted and turned while playing the Wii.

"Why is Emmett such a cuddly bear when he's not, you know, around people, but a hard ass in public?"

Rosalie clapped her hands together as she laughed and Edward joined in. I turned toward him because I'd almost forgotten that he was there and he patted my knee. I didn't realize how much I'd missed his touch over the past hour or so…

"Yeah Emmy bear? Wanna tell us why?" Edward taunted his friend, still laughing. He kept his hand on my knee… and I may have shivered with pleasure just a little. Too bad I wasn't wearing a skirt…

Emmett whirled around after he paused his game. "I heard that, Isabella! I am no cudd-" Edward cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Bella," he corrected, and "Emmy-bear" raised his eyebrows.

"Yes, she is beautiful, Eddie. But my dad would be awfully disappointed if he knew girls were calling me a 'cuddly bear'," he joked with a fake pout.

Edward's cheeks were tinted pink, and he gave an uncomfortable chuckle. Jasper was watching the situation with an amused grin along with Rosalie.

"No, well, yeah, but her _name _is Bella, you idiot," Edward stuttered. Hold the phone. Did Edward Cullen just admit that I was 'beautiful'?

"Oooooh," Emmett said, and he let the subject drop. He gave Rosalie a swift kiss and resumed his game with Jasper. Edward glanced askance at me quickly, not making eye contact, and stood up from the couch. Damn it, I wanted his hand back. I made a mental note to stick a magnet on my knee and another on his hand. Well, as long as I was at it, I might as well take this plan one step further… I grinned lasciviously at these thoughts.

"I guess we should get going; I'm hungry and you guys," Edward glared at his best friends. "Are boring as hell." I cocked an eyebrow at him and Rosalie patted my arm before standing up and stretching. Emmett grunted some sort of response, clearly transfixed with the game.

"Ugh, I don't want to do homework," Rosalie groaned as she walked toward Emmett's room. She slapped Emmett's ass on her way, which made him jump a foot in the air. I wondered if she kept her stuff there. Then I wondered if she lived here. She had her own room, right? And her clothes surely couldn't fit in Emmett's closet…

"And by 'we' you mean…?" I asked Edward for clarification. He rolled his eyes and held his hand out to help me up. I assumed that meant we were leaving, just the two of us. Did that mean we were going out on another date?

Once I was standing, I said my farewells to Emmett and Jasper, who basically slapped at the air to wave back without letting go of their controllers for too long. I rolled my eyes at them. Boys.

As Edward led me towards the door, Rosalie hollered from her room, "Hit me up so we can go shopping sometime!" I was stunned by her invitation for a moment, and looked at Edward for his reaction. Did he think I was stealing his friends? I also wasn't sure if I could financially keep up with Rosalie's purchasing. But he smiled encouragingly and I yelled back at Rosalie, "Okay!"

It felt like that was the last piece of the puzzle that made me feel completely included in this group.

Edward and I entered the open elevator and he punched the ground floor button.

"So where are we going, exactly?" I asked him.

"It looks nice outside for October. We should walk around before it starts to rain." Well, I couldn't say no to that. It really was a beautiful day, with the trees starting to lose their leaves and the ground starting to look less green and more orange.

We exited the building and started wandering around the field without much fanfare from the minions. We walked side-by-side for a few quiet moments. The birds were twittering in the trees and the campus was quite vacant, since most people either left campus, stayed in their rooms, or other people's rooms. There were a few people who were enjoying the sunshine, though, so we weren't completely alone.

"So," I whispered. It felt like I was breaking a spell by speaking. I coughed into my fist and spoke louder. "My dad was talking about buying a Jaguar after seeing your car, after Josh and I graduate. You're trying to get me kicked out of the house by showing my dad the good life, aren't you?" I joked, and Edward laughed.

"If he liked the Jaguar, he should see the rest of the collection," he boasted. He caught me rolling my eyes.

"So, how many cars do you have?" I asked with no real curiosity. Strangely, I wasn't that impressed by his opulent lifestyle. Well, of course I was _impressed, _but money was hardly the reason that he was my friend. Was he my friend? It felt like so much more than that, but at the same time, _could _we be friends? Not only was I his "enemy," but I was also from an entirely different world than him.

But I could spend a day pretending that I actually had a chance with him, right?

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Edward asked cockily, his crooked smile curving up. If only he was cooking cockles and carving a cake complacently, then I could continue the alliteration…

"Not really." Whoops. I hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"Excuse me?" Edward asked, his smug smile slipping. I really had to stop it with the alliteration already. I giggled uncomfortably and he turned around, walking backwards so he could face me.

"Uh… Well…" I couldn't think of a good cover, so I decided to go with the truth. "Honestly, Edward?" his furrowed eyebrows, that nearly covered his pretty green eyes, didn't make me feel any less uncomfortable. I stopped in my tracks and looked up at him exasperatedly. "So you're really rich, right?"

That was the biggest understatement of the fucking decade. I continued without waiting for an answer. "But… you being rich… doesn't do anything for me. You see those girls over there?" I asked him, pointing to a group of girls that I didn't know who were sitting under a tree, no doubt sharing petty gossip. Edward glanced over at them and looked back at me, as confused as ever.

"When they look at you, they see dollar signs and gold coins, like the fricking banker in Monopoly or something. But when I look at you, I see a really good-looking guy who looks kinda stuffy wearing suits all the time." I looked straight into his clear emerald eyes as I delivered my point. "But you aren't just this bastard that bullies other people around all the time. Edward; you've shown me that you care deeply for those you love and that you aren't as cold-hearted as you want people to think you are. To me, you're just an eighteen-year-old guy who's rich and privileged, but also a little lost. I know I shouldn't make all these assumptions after only knowing you for a couple weeks..." I trailed off. My throat felt a little scratchy after talking for so long.

Edward glared at me for a couple of seconds and I wondered if I was better off just running back to Rosalie. But then his face cleared and he tilted his head to the side, thoughtful.

"First of all, I am perfectly comfortable in my suits. Don't you think I look sexy when I wear a suit?" he asked me, raising his eyebrows. _You have no idea…_

"Hypothetically," I retorted, pursing my lips. He rolled his eyes at me.

"Secondly, no, I'm not just a bastard that bullies other people around all the time. I also play the piano and use my credit card and apparently let five-foot-four girls boss me around." He scowled playfully. Maybe it was a good sign that he was taking this humorously. I hoped he got my message, though. I felt like it was really important for me to make him understand that I wasn't using him.

I started walking again, a little bit annoyed that he wouldn't take me seriously. He caught up to me and we walked off the field together. When we reached the large fountain, though, he took my hand and pulled me over to the shady side and sat down. I made sure to apply enough pressure to his hand to keep our hands joined together this time.

The coldness of the stone seeped through my jeans and made me shiver a little. We sat there for a few minutes, not saying a word, but Edward seemed lost in his thoughts, so I left him alone. After awhile, I leaned my head against his shoulder and waited for him to say something. He lifted his right arm from our clasped hands- dammit he got away- and snaked it around my waist, drawing me closer into his side. I liked this better than the handholding; I was in tingly heaven.

I stuffed my hands in the leather jacket that Edward had bought me yesterday that I apparently brought with me today. My right hand encountered something hard in the tiny pocket and I pinched it between my fingers and held it up in front of my face.

It turned out to be the dragon ring I'd bought yesterday with Edward in mind.

"What's that?" Edward inquired, looking at the old-fashioned silver ring.

"Oh! I bought this yesterday, at Pike's Place. I, uh... bought it for you. Do you like it?" I asked him nervously. He nodded, and the smile on his face made me want to give a million more rings just to see it. I handed it to him and he slid it onto his right ring finger.

"I like it; not many people buy presents for me." My heart tore a little at the subtle sadness in his tone. "But why the dragon?" He asked my inquisitively. I blushed.

"Er, do you really want to know?" Of course this piqued his interest significantly, and he raised his eyebrows at me, signaling me to continue.

"You remind me of a fire-breathing dragon when you're pissed off," I admitted. He chuckled darkly and took one last look at the ring.

"Actually, I got you something, too," he informed me, and now _my _interest was piqued. He rolled a bracelet off his arm that had been concealed by his sweater before and held out his hand. I placed my arm on his hand and he rolled the bracelet onto my wrist. I pulled it away from him and held it up to inspect it.

What I saw confused me, so either he'd bought me something that had no real significance or the symbolism was just over my head. I had to admit it was pretty, though.

There were two symbols interlocked together, with an aquamarine stone in the one on the left and a sapphire stone set in the one on the right.

"It's beautiful," I told him. "But, uh… what are these symbols?" I asked hesitantly. Shit, was I supposed to know what they meant? Was there some sort of couple code that I wasn't aware about? Oh my, I'd just referred to us as a couple… I was definitely going to have a good talk with myself later today.

But Edward chuckled nervously and looked down as he spoke. "The one on the left is, uh, the Gemini symbol, and Virgo is on the right." I was never good with astronomy. I _did _know, though, that I was a Virgo. Did that make him…?

"I'm a Gemini and your birthday is really close to Jasper's, so I knew you're a Virgo," he explained shyly.

I wanted to pinch his cheeks and squeal about how adorable he was. Now _this _was the Edward that made me want to be his girlfriend and kiss him and… this was getting into dangerous territory.

I beamed back at him and he gave me a small smile. Where did this demure Edward come from? We were smiling at each other like fools.

Suddenly, Edward got this look in his eye like he'd just realized that the word 'OK' made a stick person. Yeah, I thought whoever came up with that was a genius, too. Before I could think too much about words looking like pictures, he started leaning forward with his eyes half-closed. At first, I was confused. Was he fainting or something? But then he brought his hand to cup my cheek and then _I _had _my _realization.

Edward Cullen was about to kiss me.

And now he was in the process of leaning forward so he could attach his lips to mine.

Maybe he hadn't just realized that OK was a stick figure. Maybe he suddenly decided that kissing me would be a good idea. _I _thought it was a good idea. But I needed to make sure, so I put my hand on his rock-hard chest and pushed him back a little.

He stared at me with wide eyes, not hurt so much as surprised. Yeah, my inner bitch was, well, bitching at me for even considering stopping him from kissing me.

"What are you doing?" I deadpanned. _Please tell me you're going to kiss me, please tell me-_

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked, looking a little insulted. I gave him a look that told him to tell me what should be obvious to me. Jeez this was such complicated business. He took his hand that had been on my cheek and ran it through his brown-bronze-russet locks.

"I'm trying to kiss you, Bella," he told me exasperatedly. _SCORE! _The red light turned green.

"Oh," I said innocently. "Okay." I smiled at him sweetly. He rolled his eyes at me.

He placed his hand back on my cheek and I felt my blush stain my cheeks. His smile grew wider as he leaned forward. I stayed still, letting him come to me so our noses wouldn't bump together or anything.

Finally, when I was about to say _fuck it_ and lean forward the rest of the way, his glorious lips pressed against mine and I almost gasped. This was the most intimate connection I'd ever had with someone and I knew now what all the fuss was about.

His scent- probably from his cologne or his shampoo- wafted around me and engulfed me in our small, intimate bubble.

His lips stayed immobile for a couple moments, like he was feeling the same sensations as I was. But I knew for a fact that he'd kissed girls before, so he was probably just waiting for me to react. Slowly, he pulled away a little, only to tilt his head to the side and press his lips more firmly to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed a little. His lips parted the tiniest bit and I followed suit.

We kissed for an eternity, or two minutes, before we both pulled back because the fountain splashed us a little with water. I hoped I wasn't cock-eyed after that amazing kiss. We both wiped the water off our faces and he stood up from his seat, holding out a hand for me to join him. He didn't let go even after I was standing.

"So, was it all you thought it'd be? Kissing me?" he asked me, smirking smugly. I rolled my eyes and got defensive immediately.

"I've had better, asshole," I lied, giving him a smirk of my own.

"Well I bet I can make you forget any other kiss you've ever had." He turned toward me and raised his eyebrow. I was sure he wasn't kidding, and I hope he wasn't…though there weren't any other kisses for me to forget… maybe he could make me forget my name? I would settle for that.

"I'll pass, Mr. Rich Son-of-a-Bitch." Bitchy Bella turned Kiss-Crazy Bella pouted. It hurt to say those words, but he had to be put in his place. I could sacrifice some kisses to deflate his ego. "Are you going to make me walk home, Edward?" I taunted him as we got closer to the parking lot.

"Of course not," he scoffed. He took my hand again and I felt soothed.

"You'll have to take me on another date to prove your kissing expertise, though."

He smiled wickedly at me and released my hand to take out his Blackberry. He quickly texted someone and wrapped his arm around my waist, doing an about-face and turning us toward the North side of campus.

"Wait, where are we going?" I asked, surprised and a little afraid.

"We're going on a date, of course. I think it needs to be settled immediately that my kissing is top-notch," he told me with a determined look on his face.

"Uh huh," was my brilliant response. I was so stunned by this turn of events that I let him guide me back into the campus and before I knew it, we were walking into the arts building. I stopped him as soon as I realized this.

"Wait, where exactly are you taking me?" I asked him, confused. I put my hands on my hips.

"An impromptu date," Edward explained, as if it were the most normal thing ever.

"Yes, Iknow _that,_" I drawled out. "But _where_?"

"You'll see in about thirty seconds," he promised, and he took my hand once again.

He led us up the large wooden staircase and into _my _practice room. My heart started beating faster with excitement when I realized where we were. But then it broke into a sprint when my eyes fell upon this "impromptu date" he'd set up.

"_This _is what you call an impromptu date?" My voice rose in pitch and I felt Edward flinch next to me a little. "Holy shit, how did you do that?"

Edward laughed at my incredulity. Smug bastard. It wasn't like _he _set all this up or anything.

I gawked for a few moments at the picnic before us. There was a weaved picnic basket sitting upon a very large gray blanket that covered the wood floor of the piano room and a couple of pillows set on top as well.

"How did you get this set up so quickly?" I asked in wonder. We'd been walking for seven minutes, tops.

"I'm very… persuasive," Edward smiled at his word choice.

"You mean scary and powerful?" I retorted. "Anyway, you could have at least had the decency to make me a meal yourself," I teased him. Giving him a hard time was going to be my life's mission.

"Well, first of all," Edward started, raising his eyebrows at me. "I don't cook for anyone. And second of all, this way, we don't have to wait for the food to be served. We can just start the date." He looked so smug, and I pursed my lips at his logic.

"Prick," I mumbled. He'd won this round.

I followed him over to the blanket and sat down next to him, letting my legs cross Indian-style. Edward opened the basket and plucked out two roast beef sandwiches. One of his minions must have sprinted to the lunch hall and bought them.

We made small talk while we ate our sandwiches, but I couldn't finish mine. Edward finished his before I even got halfway through my sandwich.

After I threw the remainder of my sandwich back into the basket, Edward produced a Ziploc bag containing a bunch of grapes. I excitedly tore open the bag and stuck my hand in, grabbing as many grapes as I could.

"What ladylike manners," he joked. I stuffed the grapes in my mouth and gave him a goofy, chipmunk-like smile. He grimaced at me,

"You're so gross. I'm seriously reconsidering making you my girlfriend…" he trailed off, half disgusted and half joking. _Reconsider? He considered?_

The grapes that I hadn't chewed yet threatened to spill out of my mouth. _Way to impress a guy, Bella. Show him that you can't keep it in your mouth_, Bitchy Bella snarked. Upon seeing my expression, Edward smirked.

Now, any normal girl would have taken this in stride, and would have been ecstatic at Edward hinting at wanting us to be a couple.

But apparently I wasn't normal, because I forced the rest of the grapes down and changed the subject abruptly, as if he didn't say anything. I really needed to work on my conversational skills. Apparently, my knee-jerk reaction to this kind of news was to pretend like nothing ever happened. Good one, Bella.

"So, you said that you know how to play the piano. Can you play for me?" I requested.

"What?" he asked me incredulously. I looked at him like he was insane.

"Piano? You just told me you knew how to play…" I repeated.

"No, no," Edward interjected. "Did you hear what I just said?" he asked disbelievingly. I let out a big sigh.

"Yes, Edward. But what am I supposed to say to that?" I implored him, crossing my arms around my chest.

Edward squinted his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows. "I dunno," he semi-whined. "Please, oh please Edward Cullen, make me your girlfriend?" he said in an unattractive falsetto. And here I was, thinking he couldn't be unattractive in any way. But apparently he wasn't very good at mimicking my voice.

"Uh huh, okay, you keep believing that." I giggled. "Now go play for me." I commanded him.

"Not until you admit that you want to be my girlfriend," he asserted. Gosh, he was so pushy and controlling…

"How about you go play and I won't start throwing grapes at you?" I compromised smugly. His eyes narrowed and he bit the inside of his cheek.

"You should know that I always get what I want," he warned me before gracefully standing up and taking a seat on the piano bench. I was going to stay seated on the blanket, but he patted the space on the bench next to him, so I joined him.

"What do you want me to play?" he asked me, leaning on his elbow that was resting on the covered keyboard. I racked my brain for any songs I knew, but couldn't think of anything.

"Any song that makes you happy," I replied simply, staring into his lovely eyes. He nodded once and pursed his lips before he lifted the cover and immediately started playing a song I was vaguely familiar with, though I didn't know where I'd heard it before.

The melody was slow, but sweet, and had a touch of darkness to it in certain sections. Edward's slender fingers flew across the keys, hesitating on some notes as if he were trying to recall what came next. Altogether, it was soothing and for some odd reason, my eyes became moist with unshed tears. I wasn't sure if it was the fact that this gorgeous man was playing a beautiful piece or the fact that he'd arranged this date so effortlessly, but I suddenly had the innate desire to kiss him again.

So before he even finished the piece, I placed my hands on either side of face and turned it towards mine. His playing faltered a bit before stopping altogether and I pressed my lips insistently, aggressively, against his. He responded after a few moments, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me against him.

"What song was that?" I asked breathlessly, moving my lips against his.

"Clair de Lune," he sighed, and reattached his lips to mine.

Our position was a little awkward, and I was not about to break our kiss, so I swung my legs around and over his legs, so I was practically sitting on his lap.

My body erupted with sudden warmth and it felt like someone turned the thermostat up twenty degrees. His skin was radiating heat, and my own body was absorbing it. I was sure my face was red as a tomato by now.

I still clutched his beautiful face between my hands, and his fingers dug into the flesh of my waist. This kiss was needy; we were trying to figure out what exactly was going on. I brought my hands up to his hair and gently ran my fingers through the silky strands, running all over his scalp.

Apparently he enjoyed this, because his hands tightened around me and picked me up, only to deposit me on his lap. I shivered in pleasure at our closeness and moaned into his open mouth. I hesitantly brought my tongue out to taste his bottom lip, to which he groaned appreciatively. Pulling away breathlessly, we stared into each other's eyes, searching for an answer to an unspoken question. _What was going on?_

"Did I just get the infamous Edward Cullen to moan?" I taunted, my arms wrapped around his neck now.

"Shut up," he murmured, and touched his lips to mine once again.

After making out for god knows how long, I finally- reluctantly - slid off of Edward's lap. To calm our raging teenage hormones, I suggested that we do a simple duet- "chopsticks." He laughed at the suggestion, but humored me nevertheless.

After going through the simple tune a couple of times, we were able to play our parts perfectly. Was this the right time to bring up the problem with Edward being the leader of the WMC? What happened to me being the enemy? We had to discuss these problems sooner or later, right? We couldn't just sweep them under the rug and pretend like they didn't exist.

"So…about me being public enemy number one," I started, but then my fingers missed the correct keys, and Edward slowed down so I could catch up with the song. We synchronized once again, and I let the subject drop… for now.

Not long after, we decided to pack up and leave. Though Edward said that we could just leave our trash in the room, I insisted that we clean up after ourselves. Of course, I ended up actually being the one to pack up while he stood by the door, waiting. He was so spoiled. I turned off the lights and we walked down the hall, our footsteps echoing off of the walls, and out of the arts building. The sun was getting ready to set as we picked up the bike I'd left at school yesterday and as we passed by the fountain, I couldn't help but smile at the new memories I'd made today.

And that was how I became an Edward Cullen Make-out Addict.

**Thank you, as always, cruiz107, for your suggestions and patience and friendship :)**

**Oh, and for the record, I totally called Liam Hemsworth being cast in the Hunger Games last November. Except as Peeta… but I'm sure the movie will turn out great even with him as Gale!**

**For every review, a vampire gains a hobby!**

**Chapter 16 Preview:**

**I gawked at the screen as if it were about to bite my nose off. Underneath fifty some friend requests was a single relationship request, decorated with an ugly pink heart.**


	17. Chapter 16: Facebook Official

**Thank you to the reviewers who were able to get through the FFn fail and review chapter 15! That means you, o0s0o and LiLi82! And I guess you too, Citrusandrain28…**

**Merci, as always, cruiz107, for being downright an awesome, insightful, and motivational pre-reader.**

**The last song was Undercover Martyn Flexin' It (Passion Pit Remix). But FFn was being a poopface, and I couldn't even log in, so I'm going to try this review thing again. You, my good readers, can tell me the song title that corresponds with the song lyrics that I put in the A/N's in a review. **_Winners get a shout-out in chapter 17.___

Hey, boy, won't you take me out tonight?  
I'm not afraid of all the reasons why we shouldn't try

Hey, boy, won't you make me out tonight?  
I get excited when I think of climbing into your arms

The Bird and the Bee, _**? ? ? ?**_

**Disclaimer: I don't make money from Twilight because I don't own it. Stephenie Meyer does.**

**Chapter 16: Facebook Official**

**BPOV**

"Edward, you really don't have to walk with me. I don't live _that _far from school," I insisted. "You're also slowing me down because I can't ride my bike," I pointed out. But Edward was adamant for some reason about walking me home.

Well, originally he'd offered – well, more like demanded – to drive me home while one of his minions took my bike to my apartment. But _I _was even more unyielding in my opinion that there was no need for any minions or cars- just my bike. He was so wasteful of resources; I could probably base an entire environmental awareness campaign on him. It would get a lot of publicity, too. But I digress.

Apparently we'd compromised- his driver was to follow us while he walked me back home as I pushed my bike. It was so much harder to walk a bike than to ride it, so the only person this arrangement really benefitted was… no one. I couldn't see why Cullen couldn't stay in his dorm room; it took less than ten minutes to ride my bike back home, but walking was almost twenty minutes. It seemed like this option only wasted everyone's time, even the driver's! It was surely a lose-lose situation.

Edward scoffed; he was tired of hearing my protests, which, in my defense, were for his benefit as well. "For the last time, Isabella, I want to make sure you get home safe. This thing looks like it could fall apart if you sit on it one more time." He eyed the bicycle seat warily.

I turned to him with a cocked eyebrow. "That is not the first time you've insinuated that I'm heavy. Explain yourself," I demanded. Needless to say, the romantic atmosphere had disappeared sometime between obtaining my bicycle and arguing over how to get it back to my apartment. Now we were our normal feisty selves.

"You _did _eat an awful lot at lunch today; aren't you worried about all those calories?" he joked. I wasn't quite so amused.

"Calories are just a sales tactic by the food industry! Food tastes good and I don't think any living thing on the planet with taste buds can refute that statement. So I was hungry; sue me," I retorted. The ball was back in his court. Cullen pondered my statement for a few moments before finally letting it go. _Yes! Bella-1, Cullen-0._

"Nevertheless, you should get a new bike. That can't be safe." I was glad he didn't tell me to do something outrageous like buy a car; he was a little more sensitive about our different financial situations now.

"I'm sorry _dad; _I'll see what I can do," I said sassily.

I glanced behind us once more at the black Jaguar trailing at a speed that was probably sinful for a car like it. I could practically hear car enthusiasts everywhere crying.

We walked for a few minutes, discussing male versus female deodorant. It was completely random, but I was genuinely curious about how men applied their deodorant with all that…hair. Edward insisted that it worked just as well, but I still had my doubts. Once in awhile, I rubbed the palm of my hands to relieve them of the rubber burn from the old, peeling handles.

Once we pulled up to my apartment, I turned around to face Edward. "Well, this is me." I rolled the bike to its rack and bent down to lock it before facing him again.

"I guess I'll talk to you later, then," he said, his head tilted to the side and an adorable smile tugging at his rosy lips. The fading sun's rays made the tips of his unruly hair look blonde and his overall look was breathtaking.

How did I ever manage to catch his eye? He was a god.

He held his arms out to me slightly and I quickly walked into them, encircling his waist with my arms. I reached up onto my tiptoes at the same time that he bent down, and our noses bumped a little. He rubbed his nose against mine and his eyes fluttered shut. I stared at his beautiful face up-close for a little bit, almost going cross-eyed, but when his arms tightened around my waist, I remembered my original intent, and touched my lips to his with a sigh.

I heard him inhale sharply through his nose as his lips responded to mine. His mouth parted slightly so his tongue stuck out and lightly tasted my bottom lip. I hugged him to me impossibly closer, our chests tightly pressed together with me bending backwards. After a playful nip at my lip, he licked it and pressed a chaste kiss to my mouth.

His hold on me loosened a little and I dropped down to my normal height; I started to pant for oxygen and felt the need to fan the blush away from my face. He pulled away completely and touched his fingers to my cheek. I was happy to see that his cheeks were flushed as well and damn it if he didn't look even more gorgeous than before.

"Bye, Bella," he murmured, before turning toward the car; his driver and butler, Zachary, was waiting with the door back door open. I waved weakly and watched as the car drove away from the curb. Sighing, I entered the apartment building and walked up to the second floor to give myself some time to bask in the amazingness that was Edward's kisses.

As soon as I entered my bedroom, I knew that I wasn't ready to face the real world yet, so I avoided all the homework that I should have been doing and took a shower instead.

It was nine PM and I was finally wrapping up my _Hamlet _essay. As I waited for my decrepit printer, which didn't even do double-sided printing, to spit out my document, I wondered if Alice had gone to work today for some extra hours. The bakery was open on Saturdays until eight at night because it was sort of a hotspot for the dating scene and doubled as a café.

I opened up a web browser and headed over to Facebook to see what my best friend was up to. Of course, she was online, so I asked her if she was at work today. Apparently, she was still there because some customers never wanted to leave. I decided to check the new notifications that showed up while I waited for Alice to finish ranting about the customers she'd had to deal with today. Damn, I had a _lot _of friendship notifications…

I blinked my eyes a few times.

I pinched my cheeks.

Tilting my head in confusion, I stared at my computer screen and read and reread the text. After realizing exactly what the words meant, I gawked at the screen as if it were about to bite my nose off. Underneath fifty some friend requests was a single relationship request, decorated with an ugly pink heart.

Was he for real? What kind of guy asked you to be his girlfriend over Facebook? A loser who was not worth my time, that was who. A loser who had delectable lips and a gorgeous face and body… But he obviously lacked relationship skills.

Oh, how tempted I was to click the 'ignore' button… but first, I decided to follow the frenzy that surrounded Edward Cullen's profile and most notably, the post the stated that he was "in a relationship."

**EPOV**

She was making me look like a loser! It had been a couple hours since I'd made the relationship request and there were already over fifty comments on my new relationship status. I wasn't aware that Facebook would tell the world that I was in a relationship before she accepted the request—maybe I could call up Mark and pay him some good money to change the way his web site worked so I wouldn't look like the fool who'd been stood up at prom.

Which would never happen, of course, since this was _me _we were talking about. But then why hadn't Bella confirmed our relationship?

I tapped my metal Macbook repeatedly and vacillated between checking to see if she'd accepted the request and checking my Blackberry.

I was at my Seattle home for the rest of the weekend with my only necessary personal items: my wallet, laptop, and Blackberry. I'd thought that the four hour ride over here would be enough time for her to confirm our relationship, but apparently I was completely wrong. What was she waiting for?

I saw that she was online and decided to ask her myself. I opened a chat box with her.

**What's taking you so long? Confirm my relationship request**

Her reply was immediate.

**I ignored it, you moron.**

I felt my jaw go slack. This girl…

**Why the fuck would you do that?**

**You don't just ask a girl over the Internet! Actually, you didn't even ask me. You just typed my name in and sent a little invitation. That's so impersonal. You can do better than that, Cullen.**

Any girl would have jumped at the chance to be my girlfriend. What was wrong with her? She just wasn't normal.

**What were the kisses, then? Didn't they mean anything?**

**You can forget we ever kissed until you find a proper way to ask me to be your girlfriend**

She was so infuriating. Nothing was ever easy when it came to her, it seemed.

**Fine, then I won't drive you to school on Monday**

**Fine, then I'll ride my bike**

**I'll take back your bracelet**

**I'll take back your ring**

I couldn't think of any other threats to issue, so I finally gave in and called her cell phone. She picked up on the second ring.

"Hello?" she answered, all smug about being such a tease.

"Isabella Swan, would you _please _be my girlfriend?" I asked her, trying not to sound desperate.

"Because…?" she taunted me.

"Because I like you!" I nearly shouted. How far was she going to take this?

"And…?" she prompted.

"And… you're the only girl I've ever cared about like this and you challenge me like no one else does, and I can't stop thinking about you-"

"Okay. That'll do for now," she said, and sighed before she hung up.

What did that mean? But thank god she cut me off before I could sound like even more of a pussy.

At that moment, a relationship request showed up on my home page and I accepted without delay. There, it was official. Bella was officially my first high school girlfriend. She had me so whipped already.

**You're still going to have to ask me in person, you know. I'm not that easy. You need to woo me.**

**I just took pity on you because you're so desperate ;)**

She did not just call me that.

**I am not desperate. You know you're just playing hard to get, Bella. You want this just as much as I do**

**We'll see when you actually put an effort into asking! **

**Uh huh, okay. Good night girlfriend ;)**

**Good night almost-boyfriend**

While we'd been talking there was a constant stream of comments on our newly solidified relationship. Well, it was solidified for the public, but not for us. Not yet, anyway. Apparently, Bella needed to be _wooed. _Well, I was going to woo her alright.

I glanced over some of the comments and snorted at the audacity of the people at our school. Was it really that preposterous that we'd be together? I rolled my eyes at the ridiculousness that I was reading. This was why I kept to my own group; we weren't some immature kids who didn't know what the fuck they were doing. I felt bad that Bella had to read this shit.

There was a knock at my door and I exited my browser and closed my laptop.

"Come in," I called out.

Zachary entered the room. "Sir, dinner is ready to be served," he informed me. I followed him out of the room and across the house, to the dining room. I absolutely hated this Seattle residence. It was cold and impersonal, like no one even lived here. The artwork around the house was chosen for its color scheme, not for its significance or anything like that, of course. It was as much of a home to me as a homeless shelter, or a random hotel.

When I entered the room, Elizabeth was already sitting on the complete opposite side of the wooden table, ten feet away from me. Zachary pulled out chair for me to sit on.

When I was seated, I remembered just how uncomfortable these chairs were. It was like they were made to make your ass feel sore. Nevertheless, I sat up straight and steeled myself for conversation with Elizabeth.

There were things that people knew about Elizabeth Cullen and there were things that most people didn't know about her. What people didn't know was for their own benefit; she wasn't a very pleasant person. But of course, in the public eye, she was Elizabeth Cullen: successful self-made CEO of Cullen Hotels Corporation.

She really was just a shrewd businesswoman who only looked out for herself. She loved no one, and in return, no one loved her. She sacrificed her life for money, and money was what she got. I never called her my mother because she didn't act like one, and she never encouraged it anyway. She was as distant to me as she was to any other person, except I got to see her darker, snider side on occasion.

She'd flown in from wherever the hell she'd been before, and she was only staying in Seattle for one night. Thank god. Most likely she wasn't in Chicago, though. She very rarely stayed at that residence. I found humor in the fact that the only house she abhorred was the one I called home.

"Edward, glad you could join me," she said emotionlessly. I stared straight at her.

"How was your flight?" I asked just as frostily. A server slid a plate in front of my mother, then me, and we wasted no time in picking up our forks and eating the salmon entrée.

"How are your French and German language classes? Are you getting A's?" she asked me with her fork pinched delicately between her thumb and index finger, hovering over the plate.

"Yes, I am." Well, if not, then I _was _going to be after I dished out some money… Elizabeth didn't see any reason for me to bother taking Spanish, as I was already fluent from tutoring at a young age. I was also quite fluent in French as well, but she wanted me to continue studying it because she had valuable connections in France.

I cut another piece of the salmon and was about to put it in my mouth.

"Zachary has informed me that you've been escorting a young lady by the name of Isabella around the city," Elizabeth told me as she put her fork down on her plate. She pursed her lips slightly in disappointment. "I've had my people research her and I have to say, I'm not pleased with your choice in company, Edward Anthony." She stared pointedly at me, waiting for my response.

I continued chewing and swallowed, reaching for another bite of salmon nonchalantly. "It's nothing but a high school crush; I'm not marrying her. You have nothing to worry about, and it's none of your business," I told her pithily.

"High school relationships do matter, Edward; it gives the media and the world an impression of what kind of leader you are going to be in a few years. It will also determine what kind of early connections you can make. So what is the girl to you?" She rarely breathed down my back, but when she did, I was reminded of why I detested her so much, the bitch.

"She's a fling. I'll dispose of her as soon as I can," I ground out, glaring down at my plate, my appetite suddenly nonexistent. It surprised me how painful it was so say that of Bella; she was _not _a fling. In fact, she was now my girlfriend. What kind of shithead would say that about his girlfriend? I immediately felt remorseful for my words. Even I wasn't that much of a douchebag to admit that no girl… well, not Bella, anyway, deserved that.

But I kept quiet, because the last thing I needed were complications with my mother – well, more complications than there already were – but what I really wanted to do was tell her just how much Bella actually meant to me.

"You better," was all she said, and she left the topic alone. I had to be careful around Zachary, now, though, because he'd only rat me out to Elizabeth.

"Zachary," she called out. He walked over swiftly.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen?"

"Bring in the chef." Zachary left and did as he was told. Moments later, the chef was in the dining room. This was not going to be good. I hastily chewed the last of the salmon despite my lack of appetite and got ready to leave.

"Do you see all these bones?" She pointed at her plate. I looked over and barely saw a couple of fish bones.

"Yes, I do, ma'am," the chef replied nervously.

"Obviously, you didn't take the care to take out all of the bones. I could have choked on these, and then where would the corporation be? You all would be out of jobs. You're fired," she reprimanded. I watched as the chef took in her words before slowly giving her small bow and exiting the room, escorted by Zachary. I swallowed thickly.

"Can I be excused?" I asked her. She waved her hand at me, dismissing me, and held up her wine glass, swirling its contents, before taking a sip. I stood up from my chair and left the room.

I could easily blame Elizabeth for my fucked up life. My actions were nearly a mirror of hers even though we never spent much time together. Obviously it was nature more than nurture. I laughed humorlessly.

I returned to the room I was staying in and opened my laptop again. Despite feeling so hallow and angry, when I looked at the post that said **Edward Cullen is in a relationship with Isabella Swan**, I instantly felt relaxed and relieved.

Then and there, I realized I was playing with fire- my and Bella's relationship would not be easy; not only would I have to protect her from myself, but from Elizabeth as well.

**Hello? Still there? I wanted to leave the personal notes in the end AN, so if you don't care, then just skip to the review… :) **

**So I've been ill with pneumonia for a while and have a lot of stuff to catch up on, which means no updates for a couple of weeks. Just a warning. **

**Oh my goodness I just found out that I was nominated (!) for the "Grammar's my bitch" beta award and the "Keepin it real" reader award in the 2010 Fandom People's Choice Awards! I have links on my profile (while you're at it, check out the teasers and outfits on my Polyvore, which is linked in my profile!). **

**I am hoping to do an interview with Edward, so please send in any questions you have for him via PM or review.**

**For every review, a vampire saves a human from certain death… (hopefully **_**this **_**human!)**


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